Assault on par 3s has Furyk hopeful
Web posted
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Where he will stand after 54 holes is yet to be determined.
All Jim Furyk knows is that he won't have to come out early to Augusta National Golf Club today to finish his third round.
In wet conditions, the 2003 U.S. Open champion found his birdie sanctuary on the par-3 holes en route to 4-under-par 68 on Saturday.
After earlier rounds of 73-75, Furyk stands at even par with one round remaining in the Masters Tournament.
When he completed his round, Furyk stood six shots back of leader Chad Campbell. The question remains: Was Furyk's third round good enough to give him a chance to slip into his first green jacket today?
"It's going to depend on what the leaders shoot," he said. "Chad is at 6 (under). He kind of controls his own destiny."
The picture will be clearer when Campbell and the group of golfers chasing him complete their third rounds this morning.
It is to the short-hitting Furyk's advantage for the golf course to dry overnight and for conditions to become much tougher than they were Saturday.
"The golf course didn't play difficult," he said. "With the greens being soft, it allowed me to attack some more pins."
That's just what he did. Furyk recorded five birdies - three on the par 3s - against one bogey.
Furyk knocked a hybrid club to 15 feet on the 240-yard fourth hole. He then rolled in a six-foot birdie putt at No. 12 before tapping in from a foot out on No. 16.
Furyk capped his round with a 35-foot putt for birdie at the par-4 17th.
"I missed quite a few makeable putts," said Furyk, who recorded 28 putts in the third round. "Then I make that long putt."
Furyk owns three top-six Masters finishes since 1998. In 2003, he shot a final-round 68 to finish in fourth place, his best showing at Augusta National.
He also found himself making a run at the leaders in Friday's second round. At 3 under through eight holes, Furyk bogeyed Nos. 9, 10 and 12 and added a triple bogey at the par-5 13th hole. He parred the final five holes to make the cut.
On Saturday, Furyk was the first player to tee off at 10:40 a.m. He played with noncompeting marker Jeff Knox, an Augusta National member.
The two completed 12 holes before inclement weather delayed play for more than four hours. When play resumed at 5:20, Furyk continued his hot streak. But was it good enough for him to get back in the mix?
"Time will tell," he said.
Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.
