Birdies And Bogeys

BIRDIE You ever try to offer a compliment and have it come out all wrong? Padraig Harrington did that Thursday. Speaking of his enjoyable time with playing partners Tiger Woods and Rich Beem , Harrington said: "Today was a nice, pleasant round of golf. Even Rich Beem played lovely golf." Ouch. Triple ouch. But the point is valid. Beem has done little right since reigning at Hazeltine National during the 2002 PGA Championship. He has made only one cut in the six PGAs since.

A common phrase this year - "Tiger's back" - took on a new meaning Friday at the Barclays. Woods felt a twinge in his lower back when he awoke and felt pain throughout the second round at Bethpage Black. He overcame a bogey-bogey start, struggled in the simple task of retrieving the ball from the cup and stayed within range of Nick Watney and the resurgent Sergio Garcia, who shared the lead at Farmingdale, N.Y. Woods managed a two-under-par 69, a good effort in the afternoon on greens that tend to get crusty.

Bogey: Rory McIlroy. Three pars coming home, and teenage sensation Rory McIlroy would have finished the day four under par and in a tie for sixth place. Instead he double-bogeyed the par-three 16th and took a triple-bogey seven on the finishing hole. He landed on the cut line at one over -- and he should consider himself fortunate. The Masters competition committee met after McIlroy's round to discuss a possible infraction. The discussion centered on whether McIlroy should have incurred a penalty after making contact with the sand following a bunker shot.

Reporting from La Jolla, Calif. -- 18th hole (No. 9) North Course, Par 5, 547 yards Tiger came into his 18th hole needing to salvage something of his par fives, having had a very undistinguished day on the holes that should be the easiest for him. His drive rolled into some heavy rough on the right, leaving him needing a power shot to get near the green. And that's exactly what he did, just clearing a trap and landing in some thick grass just off the green. A good save, all things considered.

Birdie: Phil Mickelson. Luckily for Mickelson, reporters didn't ask him to go through his third-round card to describe his birdies and bogeys. It would have taken him a long time, possibly extending into the dinner hour. Mickelson made seven birdies, four bogeys and a double. His one-under 69 was a thrill ride at a championship in which pars are treasured. "It was an up-and-down round," Mickelson said. "I was fighting to keep it under par. I'm making enough birdies to go five or six under, but I also made some dumb mistakes."

BIRDIE Tom Lehman putted out on No. 18, and within seconds a fan shouted from the stands: "Thank you, Tom!" Lehman removed his cap in gratitude but then whipped it downward, as if trying to swat a fly. He had just bogeyed the 18th by leaving an eight-foot putt short. Few would have expected Lehman, 50, to make the cut in the PGA Championship, being played in his home state. But Lehman made it with two shots to spare -- and longed to do even better. "The fans here are tremendous; they're the best," Lehman said.

Birdie: The USGA. Trimmed 34 yards off the fourth hole, leaving 290 yards. Tom Watson took a shot with a driver, saying: "It's a lot of fun to go ahead and take a crack at that green." Jerry Kelly hit a three-wood to 14 feet but missed the eagle try. Bogey: Mike Weir. Hard to believe he held the lead briefly Thursday. Weir followed his 79 on Friday with an 83 on Saturday, his highest score in 42 career U.S. Open rounds. And he made an eagle Saturday on No. 4. Birdie: At the risk of being repetitive … the USGA.

A common phrase this year - "Tiger's back" - took on a new meaning Friday at the Barclays. Woods felt a twinge in his lower back when he awoke and felt pain throughout the second round at Bethpage Black. He overcame a bogey-bogey start, struggled in the simple task of retrieving the ball from the cup and stayed within range of Nick Watney and the resurgent Sergio Garcia, who shared the lead at Farmingdale, N.Y. Woods managed a two-under-par 69, a good effort in the afternoon on greens that tend to get crusty.

BIRDIE Tiger Woods generally gets the last word in golf media guides. It's a function of his name. Since Fuzzy Zoeller left the scene, Woods usually comes last in the alphabet. But not at the PGA Championship, where Y.E. Yang earns that distinction. And Yang has proved to be far more than a novelty. The 37-year-old South Korean shot a five-under-par 67 Saturday that tied Woods' first round for the low score of the tournament. At six under, two off the lead, he will be paired with Woods today in the final group.

Birdie: The USGA. Trimmed 34 yards off the fourth hole, leaving 290 yards. Tom Watson took a shot with a driver, saying: "It's a lot of fun to go ahead and take a crack at that green." Jerry Kelly hit a three-wood to 14 feet but missed the eagle try. Bogey: Mike Weir. Hard to believe he held the lead briefly Thursday. Weir followed his 79 on Friday with an 83 on Saturday, his highest score in 42 career U.S. Open rounds. And he made an eagle Saturday on No. 4. Birdie: At the risk of being repetitive … the USGA.

BOGEY Padraig Harrington can look at it this way: Even if he'd aced the eighth hole, he still would not have won the PGA Championship. So all his quintuple-bogey eight cost him was several hundred grand. "These things happen," said Harrington, managing a smile. "In the course of your career, you're going to mess up sometimes, as I did." Harrington was six under par when he stepped to the eighth tee, alone in third place. With 167 yards into a strong breeze, he chose a knock-down six-iron, but it landed in the pond, short and right of the green.

BIRDIE Tiger Woods generally gets the last word in golf media guides. It's a function of his name. Since Fuzzy Zoeller left the scene, Woods usually comes last in the alphabet. But not at the PGA Championship, where Y.E. Yang earns that distinction. And Yang has proved to be far more than a novelty. The 37-year-old South Korean shot a five-under-par 67 Saturday that tied Woods' first round for the low score of the tournament. At six under, two off the lead, he will be paired with Woods today in the final group.

BIRDIE Tom Lehman putted out on No. 18, and within seconds a fan shouted from the stands: "Thank you, Tom!" Lehman removed his cap in gratitude but then whipped it downward, as if trying to swat a fly. He had just bogeyed the 18th by leaving an eight-foot putt short. Few would have expected Lehman, 50, to make the cut in the PGA Championship, being played in his home state. But Lehman made it with two shots to spare -- and longed to do even better. "The fans here are tremendous; they're the best," Lehman said.

BIRDIE You ever try to offer a compliment and have it come out all wrong? Padraig Harrington did that Thursday. Speaking of his enjoyable time with playing partners Tiger Woods and Rich Beem , Harrington said: "Today was a nice, pleasant round of golf. Even Rich Beem played lovely golf." Ouch. Triple ouch. But the point is valid. Beem has done little right since reigning at Hazeltine National during the 2002 PGA Championship. He has made only one cut in the six PGAs since.

Turnberry, a gorgeous underdog of a golf course mauled Thursday, rallied to win the 138th British Open by Saturday, establishing again its heft among Open courses. Criticized for its remote location behind two-lane roads, questioned for the low scores it had yielded in three previous Opens, and cornered when 50 players broke par on a tranquil Thursday, the Ailsa Course dug deep and revealed a menacing set of teeth even in the sunshine.

Bogey: Tiger Woods. He should have carried a tape recorder for his post-round interviews. Woods could have simply hit the play button every time he was asked about his performance at Bethpage Black. The sad refrain: He couldn't make a putt. "I striped it this week," he said. "I hit it just like I did [in the victory] at Memorial. Unfortunately, I didn't make anything. My good [putts] were not going in, and my bad ones weren't even close. I left a lot of putts short. And then when I tried to hit it harder, I gunned it past the hole."