Golf-Westwood stays in front after bogey, birdie start (Reuters)
April 11, 2010
* Briton leads on 12 under
* Woods makes poor start
By Mark Lamport-Stokes
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 11 (Reuters) – Lee Westwood retaineda one-shot lead over playing partner Phil Mickelson after makinga bogey-birdie-par start in Sunday’s final round of the U.S.Masters.
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The 36-year-old Westwood, in pursuit of his maiden majortitle and Britain’s first since Paul Lawrie won the 1999 BritishOpen, remained at 12 under overall with Mickelson alone insecond place.
South Korean KJ Choi was a further two strokes back at nineunder, level with American Fred Couples. Each had completed fourholes at Augusta National.
Four-times champion Tiger Woods, playing his firsttournament in nearly five months with his private life havingspectacularly unravelled at the end of last year, was at sixunder after two bogeys in the first four holes.
On another glorious spring day, Westwood bogeyed thepar-four first after pulling his tee shot into pine trees on theleft from where he could only punch out on to the fairway forhis second shot.
That dropped him back into a tie for the lead at 11 underwith Mickelson, who narrowly missed a birdie attempt from 15feet.
However Westwood regained the outright lead with a two-puttbirdie at the par-five second where Mickelson was the victim ofa bizarre slice of misfortune as he lined up his own birdieputt.
As the American left-hander drew his putter back, a piece ofdebris from a pine tree fluttered down on to the green.
Mickelson completed a smooth putting stroke but his ball,seemingly destined to find the heart of the cup from seven feet,was deflected and narrowly slid past the left edge.
Westwood, wearing a bright red shirt and white trousers, andMickelson then parred the third for the Englishman to remain onestroke in front.
An out-of-sorts Woods, who teed off in the group ahead,bogeyed the opening hole after a wild shot that hooked well lefton to the neighbouring ninth fairway.
The 14-times major champion also stumbled at the par-threefourth, bogeying the hole for the third successive day afterfailing to reach the green off the tee.
Choi, playing with Woods for the fourth day in a row, movedinto a tie for third after hitting a superb wedge approach tothree feet at the par-five second and knocking in the putt.
Couples, 50, bidding to become the oldest major champion ofall-time, drew level with Choi following birdies at the secondand third, where he curled in a 25-footer from the edge of thegreen.
(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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