‘Human’ Woods Leads by One

Tiger Woods was in position to run away with the Buick Open. Instead, he ran into early trouble.

“I didn’t really have the stuff I had the last couple days,” Woods said. “Didn’t quite feel as comfortable over the shots, but I got it to under par for the day, that’s something I am proud of.”

Woods struggled to one-under-par 71 Saturday but held onto a one-stroke lead over Esteban Toledo at Grand Blanc, Mich.

“We’re all human,” said Woods, who had opened with rounds of 67-63. “I think that’s the simplest way to explain it. This game is so fickle.”

Four strokes ahead after the second round, Woods had a double bogey after going out of bounds on the first hole at Warwick Hills and was three strokes behind at one point before rallying.

Preparing for the PGA Championship next week at Hazeltine in Chaska, Minn., Woods has won 24 of 26 PGA Tour events when leading or tied for the lead entering the final round.

If he holds on for his 33rd victory on the PGA Tour and fourth this year, he would do something that rarely happens in the Buick Open. Since 1958, only 15 of 37 players who have at least shared the lead after 54 holes have won.

Toledo, who enjoyed the lead for a few holes, was a stroke back at 14 under after a 67. Fred Funk (67) and Bob Tway (68) were 12 under, and first-round leader Kent Jones (70) followed at 11 under.

Of the top five on the leaderboard, Woods is the only player with a victory in the last four seasons. Toledo and Jones have never won a PGA Tour event.

“I’ve told a lot of people that I will quit this game if I win,” said Toledo, a former professional boxer. “My wife doesn’t agree with that because I have to feed the family.”

Defending PGA Championship winner David Toms (70) is among a group of four at 10 under.

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Karrie Webb will have to overcome a three-shot deficit and a leaderboard packed with youngsters to win a third Women’s British Open title.

Webb, who won the event in 1995 and 1997, shot a two-under 70 at Turnberry, Scotland, for a three-round total of nine under, three strokes behind co-leaders Carin Koch of Sweden and Jenny Rosales of the Philippines.

Koch made a 30-foot birdie putt at No. 18 for a 68, tying Rosales, who shot a 65 to get to 12-under 204.

Spain’s Paula Marti shot a 69 and 19-year-old LPGA rookie Natalie Gulbis had a 67. They were two strokes back at 10-under 206.

Michelle Ellis (68), Beth Bauer (70), Tina Barrett (70) and Candie Kung (71) were tied with Webb, who is trying to become the first player since Mickey Wright in 1964 to win a major four years in a row.

“Obviously, I’d like to be leading, but three shots isn’t too far behind on this golf course,” Webb said. “If we could get a bit of wind up tomorrow, it definitely could go any way.”

Webb has 11 come-from-behind victories in her career, all from two strokes or more.

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Hale Irwin shot a two-under 70 in windy conditions for a share of the lead with James Mason after the second round of the Senior PGA Tour’s 3M Championship at Blaine, Minn.

Mason had a 72 a day after shooting a course-record 64 on the TPC of the Twin Cities. The leaders were eight under, three strokes ahead of Bruce Fleisher (68), Bob Gilder (68), Rocky Thompson (71), Leonard Thompson (71) and Allen Doyle (71).

The wind, with gusts of more than 30 mph, did not prevent Irwin from recording a 12th consecutive round under par--the longest streak on the tour this year.