Sunday, October 29, 2000
Flesch keeps Tiger at bay
N.Ky. golfer Maintains lead in quest of 1st win
The Associated Press
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — It didn't take Northern Kentucky's Steve Flesch long to get an idea of what it's like to play golf against Tiger Woods.
On the first hole, he stood to the side with his arms crossed as Woods rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt to trim the deficit to one stroke. After they both hit driver on No.2, Flesch found himself standing 63 yards behind Woods in the fairway.
At the end of the day, however, Flesch of Union, Ky., was ahead where it mattered.
He held his own against the No.1 player in the world Saturday, making four big putts in the middle of his round for a 6-under-par 66 that enabled him to maintain a two-stroke lead over Woods in the National Car Rental Classic at Disney World.
“I hung in there today,” Flesch said. “It was a blast playing with Tiger. It was everything I anticipated, and I look forward to doing it tomorrow.”
Flesch, who has never won in 93 previous starts on the PGA Tour and is bidding to become the first Cincinnati native since Bob Lohr in 1988 here to post a tour win, was at 194 and will take at least a share of the lead into the final round for only the second time in his career. He finished second last year in New Orleans, and tied for fifth in the Western Open in July.
Jeff Sluman had a 67 and was five strokes back, but he will be in the final grouping today with Flesch and Woods.
“Obviously, he didn't get run over,” Sluman said of Flesch. “But this is a 72-hole tournament, not a 54-hole tournament.”
Still, a two-stroke lead over Woods beats the alternative. Woods has won 24 times on tour in his career, and he has come from behind in only five of them.
Woods managed to keep a couple of impressive streaks going — 105 straight holes without a bogey, and his 42nd straight round at par or better. But it wasn't easy, especially with the pace of the greens and his fighting some loose swings throughout the day.
He was still in good position to successfully defend a title for the fourth time this year.
“It's imperative that I get off to a good start — as well as Steve,” said Woods, who birdied the last hole for a 66. “And we can't forget the guys behind us.”
Flesch fits the recent profile for giving Woods all he can handle — no majors, not many PGA Tour victories and nothing to lose.
Bob May was the guy in the PGA Championship, matching Woods with a 31 on the back nine at Valhalla before losing in a three-hole playoff. Grant Waite stepped in at the Canadian Open, pushing Woods the entire final round before falling one incredible shot short.
Next up is left-hander Flesch, a Covington Catholic High and the University of Kentucky product who managed to not get too caught up in his first pairing with Woods. “It's easy to get sucked into what he's doing,” Flesch said. “I watched every shot he hit. It's impressive how far and straight a guy can hit it. But I did well on my shots, sticking to my routine and staying focused on what I was doing.”
All he did was answer Woods early, and then ride four great putts into a cushion that he never gave up. Woods, taking an unusual amount of time to line up his putts, made a 12-foot birdie on the first hole to close within one stroke. He had a 15-foot birdie putt on the next hole, but Flesch stepped up and made a 25-footer. Woods missed his putt and they traded birdies over the next two holes. “My putting saved me,” Flesch said.
Woods pulled even for the first time with a driver off the fairway into the greenside bunker on the par-5 eighth, and blasting out to 4 feet. That's as close as he got.
Flesch made 20-foot birdie putts on Nos. 9 and 10 to rebuild his lead, kept it with an 8-foot par putt on 11, then birdied 13 from about 25 feet. He matched Woods' birdie putts the rest of the way until the final hole.
Flesch said he has learned from his past opportunities not to put too much pressure on himself, no small task today considering the opposition.
Woods is going for his fourth straight victory and 10th of the year, which would be the most by anyone since Sam Snead had 11 in 1950. Flesch is still trying to win, but he can't think of a better time. “If I could get my first win playing in the same group with Tiger, I don't think there's anything more I could ask for,” he said.
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