The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WOODS ONE BACK AFTER FIRING 67 IN FLA. EVENT
Tiger Woods chipped in from behind the ninth green and the roar was unmistakable, the tree-rattling variety that belongs to only one player in golf. Moments later, Woods raised the putter in his left hand as another birdie putt dropped for a share of the lead at the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Fla.
Corey Conners heard the whole round and it made him smile.
Never mind that Conners had six birdies in his round of 3-under 68 for a one-shot lead Saturday as he tries for his first PGA Tour victory. Even the players trying to beat Woods got swept up in the emotions of seeing him closer than ever to having a chance to win again.
“I can confirm he’s back. The roars are back,” said Brandt Snedeker, who was along for the ride with Woods and matched his 67. “It’s fun to hear the crowd going crazy again and realize how excited we are in having him back out here and play the way he is. He’s playing great.”
Conners, the Canadian rookie in only his 17th start on the PGA Tour as a pro, saved par from the bunker on the par-3 17th and kept his cool when his ball moved slightly on the 18th green — no longer a penalty in those circumstances — before he tapped in for par.
He was at 9-under 204 and will play with Justin Rose (66), who joined Woods and Snedeker at one shot behind. For the second straight day, Woods and his thousands upon thousands of fans will be ahead of him.
So he at least knows what to expect.
“I kind of knew what was going on without even having to see it,” Conners said. “But it will be cool. It’s fun seeing him out there today, and I’m sure he’ll be battling hard tomorrow. But hopefully, I can play my game and have a good day.”
Conners smiled when he heard the cheer for Woods when he chipped in at No. 9.
Most of the fans in the bleachers had their backs turned to watch Woods. It was like that all day.
Snedeker, coming off a sternum injury that knocked him out of golf for the second half of last year, was equally impressive as the guy in his group everyone came to see. He twice matched birdies with Woods with 12-foot putts, and after falling two shots behind and the crowd getting louder by the hole for Woods, Snedeker battled back with a pair of birdies for a 67.
He will play with Woods again in the final round and knows what to expect. This will be the fifth time Snedeker has played with Woods this year.
Champions: Tom Pernice Jr. shot a 1-under 70 to hold onto a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Toshiba Classic in Newport Beach, Calif. Joe Durant, Scott McCarron and Vijay Singh were among the players who challenged Pernice throughout the afternoon, and 13 players were within four shots of the lead heading into the final round.
European Tour: Home favorite Shubhankar Sharma shared the lead with Matt Wallace of England at the Indian Open after the third round. Sharma, who four days ago was invited to play in the Masters, shot level-par 72 with five birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey.