ALA Club’s future ‘world champion’ p.26
World No.1 Henin booted out p.29
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n JOBANNIE C. TABADA Editor
SHAKE UP ON TOP
WOODS HAS EXCUSE
For his worst Masters showing n He’s just ‘a little off’
AUGUSTA, Georgia – Tiger Woods has struggled to his worst Masters showing as a professional, unable to find sufficient form to stay in contention much less the “Agame” to capture his fourth green jacket. World No.1 Woods fired his second three-over par 75 in three days here yesterday to stand on three-over 219 after 54 holes at Augusta National Golf Club. “It’s frustrating because I’m so close to putting it together, but I’m just a little off,” Woods said. He began the day six strokes off the lead and ended it nine off the pace in a share of 20th place. It’s the eight-time major champion’s highest three-round total and first 54-hole effort beyond the top 13 here since his 1995 amateur debut, when he was on 221 and 46th. (AFP)
MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2004
Leaders tumble in US Masters
A
FRUSTRATION. Tiger Woods reacts to a bad tee shot on the 12th hole during the third round of The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National golf club in Augusta. Woods finished with a 75 for (AFP FOTO) a three-over 219 after 54 holes.
THIRD-ROUND SCORES 210 - Chris DiMarco 69-73-68, Phil Mickelson 72-69-69 212 - Paul Casey (ENG) 75-69-68 213 - Bernhard Langer (GER) 71-73-69, Ernie Els (RSA) 70-72-71, K.J. Choi (KOR) 71-70-72 214 - Kirk Triplett 71-74-69 215 - Fredrik Jacobson (SWE) 74-74-67 216 - Padraig Harrington (IRE) 74-74-68, Stewart Cink 74-73-69, Nick Price (ZIM) 72-73-71, Jay Haas 69-75-72, Fred Couples 73-69-74, Davis Love 75-67-74 217 - Vijay Singh (FIJ) 75-73-69 218 - Retief Goosen (RSA) 75-73-70, Mark O'Meara 73-70-75, Charles Howell 71-71-76, Alex Cejka (GER) 70-70-78 219 - Casey Wittenberg 76-72-71, Jerry Kelly 74-72-73, Sergio Garcia (SPA) 72-72-75, Tiger Woods 75-69-75, Jose Maria Olazabal (SPA) 71-69-79, Justin Rose (ENG) 67-71-81
UGUSTA, Georgia – Saturday at the Masters is traditionally called “Moving Day” as players jockey for position for Sunday’s final round. But for overnight leader Justin Rose, it turned into “Eviction day.” Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain and Germany’s Alex Cejka also saw themselves expelled from the leaderboard. As he teed off yesterday, Rose stood at six-under for the championship and two clear of his nearest rivals, Cejka and Olazabal. The 23-year-old Rose had played near flawless golf for the first two rounds, opening with a five-under 67 followed by a one-under 71. Rose was confident going in to yesterday. But he quickly discovered that lady luck had decided to desert him. From the moment his opening drive got caught up in the pine leaves off the fairway he knew he was in for a rough day. Three straight bogeys, followed by two more, saw him slip to five-over for the day by the time he reached the turn. It got no better as he began the long march home. More shots were dropped as nothing he did seemed to work and he finished with a mind-numbing nine-over part 81 and effectively out of the tournament. “I’m still a bit shell-shocked to be honest,” said Rose afterwards. On the other hand, a confident Phil Mickelson is relishing the idea of finally riding himself of the tag of being the best golfer never to have won a major.
SEEING AHEAD. Phil Mickelsonof the US studies his putt on the first green. Mickelson leads the tournament going into the final round. (AFP FOTO)
The 33-year-old shot a third round three-under 69 to go into today’s final round sharing the lead with fellow American Chris DiMarco. “I think that heading into the final round I’m much more at ease than I have been in the past where I’ve been anxious and wondering how its going to go, if my swing is going to be there,” explained Mickelson. Mickelson, who has finished third here for the past three years, puts his new found
Coke Tigers halt rally, break Beermen’s long streak COCA-COLA finally broke San Miguel’s eightgame winning roll after the Tigers preyed on the Beermen yesterday, 88-85, in the Philippine Basketball Association Gran Matador Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum. In the second game, FedEx Express gave coach Joe Lipa his first win since taking over the coaching job following a 103-100 triumph over the Batang Red Bull Barako.
FedEx’s Beermen to W L V e r g e l earn their San Miguel 8 1 M e n e s e s sixth win in Alaska 6 3 grabbed the nine games Talk N Text 6 3 Best Player of and join the Coca-Cola 6 3 Red Bull 4 4 the Game Alaska Aces Purefoods 3 5 award with his and the Talk Shell 3 6 13 points, ‘N’ Text Ginebra 3 6 three re Phone Pals at Fedex 3 6 bounds and the second Sta. Lucia 2 7 four assists spot. production. Building Leading all the way from leads that reached as high the start of the game, the Ti- as 16 points, the Tigers of gers had to suppress a surging coach Chot Reyes were late-game rally by the given a big scare by the
wards of Beermen mentor Jong Uichico after San Miguel slashed down CocaCola’s edge to just one point twice in the final minute – the other one off a Danny Ildefonso basket in the last 50 seconds of the game. That basket by Ildefonso brought San Miguel to within a point, 85-86. The Beermen, who defeated Coca-Cola after trailing for three quarters in
their game in Dumaguete City, were given the chance to take the lead for the first time after the Tigers’ Ato Morano committed a costly turnover in the return play with a double dribble. The Beermen scrambled to make their offensive strike in the next play, but the Tigers’ Poch Juinio managed to block Danny Seigle’s potential two-point drive as the Tigers grabbed the defensive rebound. Coca-Cola import
Mark Sanford, who missed on his two free throws just moments earlier, was sent again to the 4.5-meter line by the Beermen, who were hoping for a miss. Sanford sank both charities to give Coca Cola, which erected a 4332 halftime edge and a 2717 first quarter cushion, a three-point breather with six seconds to go. San Miguel tried to launch a trey but Seigle’s shot fell short. JSV