Tiger Ambushes the Leaders With an Attack From Behind

Tiger Woods was tied for 36th place in the Buick Invitational as the sun rose on a Saturday morning. He and the other “also-rans” were relegated to playing Torrey Pines South’s back nine first, Woods’ group being first off.

This positioning proved to be most interesting, because Woods’ group made the turn on the tail of Saturday’s last group--Friday’s leaders. This had to be rather daunting to Ted Tryba, the halfway leader, because Woods was causing considerable commotion in his wake.

“I could see Ted out there, maybe a hole and a half ahead,” Woods mused. “I tried to make it known that I was coming.”

Woods certainly made it known that he was coming. All he shot was a 62, both a personal professional best and the course record at Torrey South. He shot a 32 on the back and then a 30 on the front, where his every move triggered a crowd response that echoed through the canyons.

“My intention was to shoot a 63 today,” he said. “I figured that would put me one to three back going to tomorrow. I thought that was right where I’d need to be. Lo and behold, I shoot a 62.”

Indeed, his 10 under moved him to minus-15 for the tournament and he has become the pursued rather than the pursuer. Billy Ray Brown’s 68 Saturday left him one shot back at minus-14, followed by Frank Lickliter, Bill Glasson and Kevin Sutherland at minus-13. Tryba and Scott Hoch were at minus-12.

“I like my chances,” Woods said. “I like being in the hunt.”

The notion that he “intended” to shoot a 63 was, in itself, a little flabbergasting. He had shot a rather pedestrian 68 on the easier North Course Thursday and struggled to a 71 Friday, scrambling to make the cut after a couple of double-bogeys. He was nine behind Tryba Saturday morning.

“I’ve been telling everyone it’s just a matter of time before things click in,” he said. “I’ve been so close, but nothing had quite jelled.”

Incredibly, not everything clicked Saturday. He had three putts that lipped out and another that stopped on the rim. His sand wedge approach on No. 5 spun past the hole, missing an eagle by inches. That’s five close calls. Count ‘em.

The “serious” contenders were all on the practice green or driving range when Woods started on the 10th hole, off in one of Torrey Pines’ remote corners. And he started rather innocuously with a pair of pars, but No. 11 was noteworthy. He missed the par-three green by so much he was closer to the 12th tee, yet he chipped on and made a 20-foot putt to save par.

“That,” he said, “was where the whole round started. I was off and running after that.”

He birdied Nos. 12 and 13 in routine fashion and then birdied No. 14 when he chipped in from 35 feet--with a three-wood. He was four under for the day and nine under for the tournament after a birdie on 18.

And now the leaders--Tryba, Dennis Paulson and Lickliter--were literally and figuratively in sight. They were just finishing No. 1 as Woods teed off for his second nine, and started it with a 10-foot putt for another birdie. The leaders would be acutely aware of what was transpiring behind them.

Woods birdied Nos. 4 and 5 and went to No. 6 behind by two shots. His tee shot at the par five strayed left, coming to rest 280 yards from the hole on a knoll behind a bunker. His stance was downhill and to the side and his right foot was on the edge of the bunker. He blasted a three-wood that kicked off a sprinkler head and rolled to within 10 feet of the hole.

The eagle putt pulled him even. When he birdied nine, he had the course record--and the lead. Tryba had bogeyed just ahead of him.

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The Leaders

Top scores through Saturday’s play: (Complete scores, Page 16)

BUICK INVITATIONAL--PAR 72

Tiger Woods: 68-71-62--201 -15

Billy Ray Brown: 69-65-68--202 -14

Kevin Sutherland: 68-68-67--203 -13

Bill Glasson: 68-67-68--203 -13

Frank Lickliter: 67-66-70--203 -13

Scott Hoch: 69-66-69--204 -12

Ted Tryba: 65-65-74--204 -12