GOLF ROUNDUP : Woods Shoots a Peerless 62 at Firestone

It looks as though Tiger Woods may simply be too good to have a rival.

Against the most elite field in golf this year, Woods overwhelmed Firestone Country Club with an awesome display Saturday for an eight-under-par 62, giving him a five-stroke lead going into today’s final round of the NEC Invitational at Akron, Ohio.

“All the things that I’ve done over the past couple of years to get myself to this position is starting to pay off now,” Woods said. “I think that’s what everyone is starting to see.”

Woods made five birdies in a seven-hole stretch, none longer than about 10 feet. He threatened to tie Jose Maria Olazabal’s course-record 61 but missed a six-foot birdie putt on 18. He also missed a three-foot birdie putt at No. 12.

Woods finished at 11-under 199 and is in a comfortable position. He has won his last eight tournaments when he has had at least a share of the lead going into the final round.

“He’s on a roll. He’s the best player in the world right now, and he’s proving it every week,” said Fred Couples, whose 63 looked rather ordinary in comparison but was enough to put him at six-under 204.

A victory today would be the fifth in the United States this year for Woods, the most since Nick Price won five times in 1994. Price had a 68 and was tied with Couples in second.

*

Notah Begay III, a PGA Tour rookie bidding for his first tournament victory, shot a course-record nine-under 63 for a four-stroke lead in the inaugural $2.75-million Reno-Tahoe Open at Nevada.

Begay, a former teammate of Woods’ at Stanford, began the day four strokes off the lead. He surged to the front by making 10 birdies, bringing his three-day score at the 7,552-yard Montreux Golf and Country Club course to 14-under 202.

Tom Scherrer was four behind Begay after a three-under 69, and Craig Stadler and Brandt Jobe were another shot back.

*

Dottie Pepper birdied three of the last five holes to shoot a two-under 70 and maintain a five-shot lead with a 16-under 200 in the LPGA Oldsmobile Classic at East Lansing, Mich.

Karrie Webb, Kellie Kuehne, Rosie Jones, Donna Andrews and Beth Daniel were lumped at 11-under 205 after 54 holes over the 6,191-yard layout at Walnut Hills Country Club. Kuehne shot 67, the others 69.

*

Hale Irwin had a one-under 71 in gusting winds at Richelieu Valley Golf Club and retained his one-stroke lead after three rounds of the $1.35-million Canadian Senior Open at Ste-Julie, Quebec. Irwin stands at 13-under 203, one stroke ahead of 50-year-old Jim Ahern.

The victory would be the sixth of the season for the 54-year-old Irwin.

In Front

Through Saturday (Complete scores, D15):

*

PGA NEC INVITATIONAL--Par 70

Tiger Woods: 66-71-62--199 -11

Fred Couples: 71-70-63--204 -6

Nick Price: 67-69-68--204 -6

Carlos Franco: 68-67-70--205 -5

*

PGA RENO-TAHOE OPEN--Par 72

Notah Begay III: 70-69-63--202 -14

Tom Scherrer: 67-70-69--206 -10

Craig Stadler: 72-70-65--207 -9

Brandt Jobe: 69-69-69--207 -9

*

LPGA OLDSMOBILE CLASSIC--Par 72

Dottie Pepper: 67-63-70--200 -16

Kelli Kuehne: 68-70-67--205 -11

Beth Daniel: 71-65-69--205 -11

Donna Andrews: 71-65-69--205 -11

Rosie Jones: 67-69-69--205 -11

Karrie Webb: 66-70-69--205 -11

*

CANADIAN SENIOR OPEN--Par 72

Hale Irwin: 67-65-71--203 -13

Jim Ahern: 67-68-69--204 -12

Hugh Baiocchi: 69-67-69--205 -11

Gil Morgan: 69-68-68--205 -11