Golf
Clark Flirts With A Record Round
The Associated Press
Published: August 31, 2008
NORTON, Mass. - Tim Clark matched his best score on the PGA Tour with a 62. He made two eagles in a span of three holes, nearly driving a par 4. And he wound up with a one-shot lead in the Deutsche Bank Championship.Published: August 31, 2008
It still was hard to hide his disappointment.
The South African poured in birdies at such an alarming rate Saturday on the TPC Boston that after making his second eagle, from just over 20 feet on the 298-yard fourth hole, he was 10 under through 13 holes.
Two birdies over his final five holes - one of them a par 5 - and he would have a 59.
And after a beautiful sand wedge to 3 feet on the par-5 seventh to reach 11 under for his round, he only needed one birdie over the final two holes to become the fourth player to shoot golf's magic number on the PGA Tour.
"For a while there, there certainly was a chance of 59," he said.
His hopes ended with a 3-iron hybrid right of the 222-yard eighth hole and an 8-foot par putt he failed to convert.
Clark bogeyed his final two holes and still shot a 9-under 62, giving him a one-shot lead over Mike Weir of Canada going into the final two rounds at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Ian Poulter shot 74 and missed the cut, then lashed out at the media for causing such a distraction that he wasted energy on the wrong things.
"It's a joke," Poulter said. "It's not the kind of buzz you want to play golf on, trust me."
CHAMPIONS: Jeff Sluman shot 6-under 66 at Pebble Beach for a share of the second-round lead in the Wal-Mart First Tee Open with Loren Roberts, Phil Blackmar and John Harris.
Sluman had six birdies and a bogey en route to a 9-under 135 total. Blackmar shot a 68, also at Pebble Beach. Harris shot a 66 at Del Monte.
Roberts, who was among five first-round leaders, joined the 36-hole leaders with a 22-foot birdie on the 18th for a 69.
PGA EUROPEAN: At Gleneagles, Scotland, Gregory Havret shot a 4-under 69 for a 208 total to take a one-stroke lead over Anthony Wall after the third round of the Johnnie Walker Championship.