Date: July 05, 2009
Author: PA Sport

Pampling pushing Tiger

Tournament host Tiger Woods overcame a shaky start to his third round at Congressional Country Club to set up a final-day showdown with defending champion Anthony Kim at the AT&T National in Maryland, but Aussie Rod Pampling remains in the mix. World No.1 Woods shot a level-par 70 to stay in the lead heading into the fourth round at 10-under. It was a shared lead, though, as fellow American Kim posted a 68 to reach the same mark and make a date in the final pairing in Bethesda on Sunday. Woods&apos bid to win the PGA Tour tournament he hosts in the Washington DC area to benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation had suffered a series of setbacks having begun the day with a one-shot lead at 10-under. Woods had led Pampling with Kim in third place at eight-under at the start of the day. But, playing with Pampling in the final group out at the par-70 Blue Course and in front of big crowds celebrating American Independence Day, the world No.1 immediately hit trouble, finding left rough off the tee at the 402-yard, par-four first hole. His second shot failed to reach the green, landing in more rough between fairway and bunker and his third shot left him with a 10-foot par putt which Woods did not convert, tapping in for bogey to fall into a shared lead with Pampling at nine-under. Pampling then moved into the outright lead with a birdie at the par-four third to go to 10-under, one shot ahead of Woods, who won the Bay Hill and Memorial tournaments earlier this year. Then the Australian bogeyed holes four and five while Woods bogeyed the par-four sixth before recording his first birdie of the day with a three at the eighth. An eagle three followed at the 602-yard ninth courtesy of a 366-yard drive and a 25-foot putt, but Woods then double bogeyed the par-four 11th, hopping from left rough to front-left greenside bunker to left greenside bunker before three-putting for a six. Woods got back to level for the day with a birdie at the par-five 16th on his way to what was a disappointing 70 for the 14-time major winner. Kim, who on Thursday had shot a course-record 64, had also got off to a bad start with a bogey at the opening hole but he bounced back with a birdie at the third and eighth. A bogey followed at the ninth but he birdied the 12th and 16th en route to his 68. Woods and Kim are a shot clear of American duo Michael Allen, the 50-year-old US Senior PGA champion who shot a 65, and Cameron Beckman, whose 66 got him to nine-under. A 69 put Jim Furyk at eight-under while Pampling crashed the July 4 party to share fifth place with a 71 that featured an 83-foot birdie putt at the par-four 14th hole. After earlier rounds of 68 and 67, Kiwi Danny Lee maintained his place in equal eighth, at six-under for the tournament, with a solid third round of 69 that included three birdies and two bogies. Aussie Stuart Appleby is a stroke further back at five-under after en even-par 70. Meanwhile, Rafa Echenique lost his magic but kept his lead in the French Open Alstom at Le Golf National near Paris on Saturday. By adding &aposonly&apos a 70 to his opening rounds of 65 and 67, however, the 28-year-old from Argentina still has a lot of work to do to claim his first European Tour title. Echenique, second in Munich last week after an albatross two on the final hole, is 11-under after three rounds on the Albatross course. Aussie left-hander Richard Green will push him all the way, holding on to a share of fourth place at eight-under, three strokes behind Echenique. Scott Strange is tied for 11th place at five-under. AT&T National Round 3 -10: Anthony Kim 62 70 68, Tiger Woods 64 66 70, -9: Michael Allen 67 69 65, Cameron Beckman 68 67 66 -8: Jim Furyk 66 67 69, Rod Pampling (Australia) 67 64 71 -7: Lucas Glover 69 66 68 -6: Ryuji Imada 69 69 66, Cliff Kresge 70 67 67, Ryan Moore 69 66 69, Danny Lee (New Zealand) 68 67 69, Bryce Molder 64 70 70 -5: Boo Weekley 67 69 69, George McNeill 70 66 69, Stuart Appleby (Australia) 66 69 70 -4: Brandt Snedeker 68 70 68, Steve Marino 73 65 68, Hunter Mahan 69 69 68, Davis Love III 69 67 70, DA Points 64 70 72, Daniel Chopra 66 68 72 Also: -2: Nathan Green (Australia) 71 71 66, Marc Leishman (Australia) 70 71 67, James Nitties (Australia) 71 67 70 -1: Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 72 68 69, Steve Elkington (Australia) 65 73 71 +2: Nick O Hern (Australia) 71 70 71, Peter Lonard (Australia) 70 70 72 +3: John Senden (Australia) 71 70 72 Third Round of the French Open -11: Rafa Echenique 65 67 70 -10: Martin Kaymer 62 72 69 -9: Paul Waring 66 70 68 -8: Seve Benson 70 67 68, Richard Green (Australia) 68 67 70, Peter Hansen 65 70 70 -7: Robert-Jan Derksen 67 71 68, Charl Schwartzel 68 66 72, Lee Westwood 68 68 70 -6: Ian Poulter 72 69 66, Jamie Donaldson 69 71 68, Thongchai Jaidee 65 75 68, Francesco Molinari 67 70 71, Colin Montgomerie 69 74 65, Alvaro Quiros 72 71 65, Graeme Storm 69 72 67, Scott Strange (Australia) 65 72 71, Steve Webster 69 65 74 Also: +1: Marcus Fraser (Australia) 68 74 72