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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, March 24, 2008

Woods' streak still alive, as CA event will go extra day

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Geoff Ogilvy

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DORAL, Fla. — Tiger Woods' unbeaten streak lives another day. Barring a big comeback, it'll live for only one more day.

Geoff Ogilvy got to 17 under through nine holes and held a two-shot lead over Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh at the soggy CA Championship, which won't finish until today because of a three-hour weather delay during the final round.

Furyk was 15 under through 10, while Singh played nine holes. Retief Goosen and Graeme Storm were three shots back and Steve Stricker made a charge, shooting a final-round 63 to finish at 13 under, four shots back of Ogilvy and tied with Adam Scott.

Play was scheduled to resume today at 2:30 a.m., Hawai'i time, when most intrigue will be pointed toward Woods — who was five back with seven holes remaining.

"In his own mind, he probably still thinks he has a chance and I'm sure we've seen him to do crazy things before," Ogilvy said.

World Golf Championship events are some of Woods' favorites, given his 15 wins in 26 previous WGCs entering this week. But somehow, at Doral, he's looked mortal. He hasn't lost to anyone in six months, yet when play was halted, he was tied for ninth.

Ogilvy's last win was the 2006 U.S. Open. Woods missed the cut that summer at Winged Foot and has been on an absolute tear ever since, winning 16 of his last 26 official PGA Tour events and carrying winning streaks of seven straight appearances worldwide and five tournaments on tour into Doral, a track where he's prevailed each of the past three years.

Unless he pulls off a stirring comeback, all those streaks will end, meaning he'll be a winner in only nine of his past 11 events worldwide heading into the Masters.

For anyone else, that's a superhuman clip. For Woods, it's become practically expected.

Ogilvy's bogey-free streak for the week ended after 60 holes, when he left a 35-foot par putt short on the seventh hole. He was forced to scramble at times and said he was exhausted after the long day, but he's still in the best position entering today.

"It's a good leaderboard," Ogilvy said. "That's what the whole point of these golf tournaments was, I guess, to get fields like this, get everyone playing each other."

Fifty three of the remaining 77 players will finish today, when Woods will need a huge charge.

"It can be had," Woods said.

ELSEWHERE

Puerto Rico Open: Greg Kraft won the inaugural Puerto Rico Open for his first official PGA Tour victory, closing with a 2-under 70 for a one-stroke victory over Bo Van Pelt and Jerry Kelly in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Kraft, who won the unofficial Deposit Guaranty Classic in Mississippi 15 years ago, had a 14-under 274 total on the Trump International Golf Club course. Kelly, at No. 63 the highest-ranked player in the field, shot a 70, and Van Pelt had a 72.

Madeira Islands Open: Scotland's Alastair Forsyth overcame a five-stroke deficit in regulation, then beat South Africa's Hennie Otto with birdie on the first hole of a playoff in the Madeira Islands Open in Santo Da Serra, Madeira Islands. Forsyth birdied the 18th hole for a 5-under 67 to match Otto (72) at 18-under 273. Forsyth then birdied the par-4 18th again in the playoff for the title.