CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- Retief Goosen had trouble concentrating during the third round of the International on Saturday.
‘I was brain dead today, or should I say this afternoon,’ said Goosen, who had to play five holes in the morning to complete the rain-delayed second round before playing his entire third round.
‘I got onto a roll nicely this morning and then this afternoon I couldn’t focus, couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t see well at all and I couldn’t make a putt,’ Goosen said.
The tournament’s defending champion struggled on his first nine holes and ended the day with a total score of 18 -- three above the cut for Sunday.
The third round began when he pitched a shot to within five feet, but missed the birdie putt. On No. 2, Goosen glared at the hole after leaving a 12-foot putt wide right. He three-putted for bogey on No. 4 and settled for pars on the holes leading up to the turn. Each was for birdie and each putt was left short.
‘I think I had 37 putts,’ Goosen said. ‘You aren’t going to go anywhere with that.’
The trend continued on the first two holes of the backside, lipping out a birdie putt on No. 10 and leaving another putt short on No. 11. He picked up four points by getting birdies on the two par 5s, hole Nos. 14 and 17.
‘Tomorrow I’m going to need a couple of birdies and a couple of eagles,’ Goosen said. ‘That’s the only way you’re going to make up ground quickly.’
LEAVING QUIETLY
While at the International, Phil Mickelson wanted to make a statement about his game. Instead he quietly left with putting problems as he moved on to Chicago for the PGA Championship.
Mickelson came up short of making the International’s first cut that reduced the field to 70 players.
The two-time winner of the event (1993 and ’97) finished with a two-day total of five points. He had a point after one round and managed to add only four more in the second round, but he had held out hope when the projected cut stayed at five until Saturday morning.
The cut didn’t come until late morning. Poor weather Friday forced 72 golfers to finish their second rounds early Saturday.
‘It’s been fun,’ Mickelson said Thursday. ‘I just haven’t been putting well and I was hoping that I have a chance to direct that on the weekend.’
The chance never came.
FAILING TO MAKE IT
Besides Mickelson, other past winners sent packing were Jose Maria Olazabal (1991), Steve Lowery (1994), Clarence Rose (1996) and Rich Beem (2002).
Former champions Ken Green (1986), John Cook (1987), Joey Sindelar (1988), Brad Faxon (1992), Lee Janzen (1995) and Vijay Singh (1998) didn’t compete.
Greg Norman (1989), Davis Love III (1990, 2003), David Toms (1999), Ernie Els (2000), Tom Pernice (2001), Rod Pampling (2004) and defending champion Retief Goosen (2005) played Saturday.
MAN ON A MISSION
Zach Johnson doesn’t mask his intentions.
‘Making the Ryder Cup is my biggest goal,’ he said. ‘You can throw it up with the Super Bowl and the Final Four. For American golfers it is the largest sporting thing in golf.’
Johnson entered the weekend ninth among the point standings. He completed the third round of the International with 27 points and the tournament lead.
That means he won’t have to impress Ryder Cup team captain Tom Lehman. The top 10 points leaders get invited to join the U.S. team, and Lehman adds two more to complete the team.
‘I’ve thought about it a lot and had to maintain my focus on one week at a time,’ Johnson said. ‘If I get too caught up in it everything goes astray.’
Johnson had one of the best shots of the tournament when he holed a 60-degree wedge shot for eagle from 97 yards out on the first hole.
MAKING UP GROUND
J.B. Holmes was in danger of not making the cut. He began his final three holes, Nos. 7, 8 and 9, with 14 points.
By the time he signed his scorecard, he was at 19 points. He birdied Nos. 7 and 8 and holed a shot from 95 yards out on No. 9 to earn eagle.
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Published August 12, 2006 04:00 PM
