The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 30 March 2009 / Leave a Comment

The great man wins the third tournament of his comeback to save our golf punter, Steve Rawlings, from a devastating loss.

It didn't take very long on Saturday to realise that my in-running pick, Marcel Siem, was in trouble at the Open de Andalucia. After three steady pars he double bogeyed the 4th and was treading water at best after that. To make matters considerably worse I also backed Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano at [8.6] just minutes before he lost his way, while my only other hope, Jimenez, was as poor as he'd been on Thursday.

Soren Kjeldsen shot a new course record 62 and at one point was on course to have the best round of the day by a remarkable six shots, but David Drysdale finished eagle-birdie-birdie to close within a shot and make Soren's round the best of the day by just the four shots, still an incredible achievement.

The third round at Bay Hill turned into a war of attrition with conditions worsening throughout the day and everyone was just hanging on by the end. My only hope, Robert Allenby, was again let down by his putter and, as suspected, as round three drew to a close it was looking very much like a two way scrap between Sean O'Hair and Tiger Woods.

Woods made a mess of the last and needed a 25 foot putt just to save bogey and to remain within six shots of O'Hair. In typical Tiger fashion the putt was made and I snapped up the very generous [7.4] on offer. When O'Hair also bogeyed the last the gap was five and Woods was trading at around [4.2], while O'Hair was around [1.5].

I'd resigned myself to a losing event in Spain but watched and waited to see if an opportunity would present itself during the final round. Kjeldsen was a bit wobbly but nobody seemed capable of putting any pressure on at all.

Drysdale had drawn level after five holes but reacted to the achievement with two bogeys. Even then he trailed by just one shot with six to play, with Kjeldsen still wobbling, I felt the [3.8] on offer for the Scot was just to big to ignore. The closest player to the front two was Alistair Forsyth but he was two back and looked none too convincing.

To cut a long story short, a Kjeldsen bogey on the 15th saw them level, then on the par 5 16th the Dane went for the green in two but came up way too short and found the water, Drysdale traded below [1.5] but then a monster par save from Kjeldsen swung the initiative back his way. A Drysdale bogey on 17 to a Kjeldsen birdie sealed my fate and it was as close to a disaster as it gets with a heavy loss incurred.

Now when you've done a few quid and you want someone to improve your lot there's one particular chap that often obliges.....

It was a long and late night but what a night and to think I'd started the week dismissing the great man's chances.

Woods had started the day five back but by the time he reached the fourth tee he'd closed the gap to just two. After that it was a real slog, O'Hair wasn't awful, he justified my belief that he wasn't to be trusted but it wasn't an out an out choke by any means, but when he hit his second shot into the water on 16 he was about to lose the lead. I layed some Woods back at [1.12] and when O'Hair got up and down for bogey it looked like a wise decision.

Leading by one, Woods' tee-shot plugged in the greenside bunker on the 17th and I knew I'd definitely done the right thing. A bogey followed and they went to the last tied on four under par.

After that it was all bog-standard Tiger really, an impeccable drive, perfect approach, birdie putt from 16 feet and another title. What can I say that hasn't already been said? He's a genius, a freak, a phenomenon, and so on and so forth.

He'd got me out of a hole, not completely if the truth be told, but I could at least see over the top! A small loss on the week, and I'm extremely grateful.

Next week's events are the Estoril Open and the Shell Houston Open and I'll preview the pair on Wednesday.

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