Going for Third Title in Row, Woods Is First-Time Medalist

Looking every bit like the two-time champion he is, Tiger Woods was the best of 312 golfers with a seven-under-par 136 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club to top qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Woods, trying to become the first player to win three consecutive Amateur titles, shot a 67 Tuesday at Cornelius, Ore., and now has a chance to be the first stroke-play medalist to win the tournament since Phil Mickelson in 1990.

The 20-year-old Stanford student birdied four of the last seven holes on the par-72 Witch Hollow course to slip past Bo Van Pelt, who finished at 138.

“That wasn’t the plan,” Woods said about being medalist.

The low 64 scores in the two-day medal qualifier advanced to six rounds of match play, culminating with a 36-hole final Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Woods seemed to end speculation that he would soon turn professional when he confirmed he had accepted an invitation from the USGA to play in the World Amateur Team Championship in the Philippines in November.

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Mark Calcavecchia missed a 3-foot par putt on the 18th hole to allow Greg Norman and Brad Faxon to repeat as champions of the $700,000 Fred Meyer Challenge at West Linn, Ore.