Irving, Texas ? After Saturday’s third round of the Byron Nelson Championship, Gary Woodland predicted someone is going to bring Las Colinas to its knees today. He didn’t say he would, but it was evident he believes he’s going to have a big final round today.
He has reason to believe that after firing a 66 that included a four-under par 31 on the back nine, which put his double-bogey 7 on No. 7 in the past.
“I’m surprised what the scores are right now,” Woodland said. “The conditions are perfect and the golf course is in the best shape I’ve seen it, so there’s a low one out there.”
Woodland enters the final round of the Byron Nelson Championship at 9-under par in a three-way tie for third with James Hahn and Mike Weir, one stroke behind co-leaders Louis Oosthuizen and Brendon Todd.
The 18th hole, which features a green guarded by water on the left and a deep bunker on the right, put many a golfer in a rotten mood. Not Woodland. It charged him with even more confidence. Powerful drive to the middle of the fairway. Beautiful second shot that sucked back to give him a 15-foot birdie look. Drained it. Three perfect shots that resulted in his sixth birdie.
No. 7 was his only hole over par and it started so well. He hammered his drive 322 yards, putting him in position to reach the par 5 in two. His well-hit second shot was “just a step short, literally,” of rolling onto the green, Woodland said. Instead it rolled into a sand trap and it took him two shots to get out. He three-putted from 25 feet. He didn’t suffer a hint of a hangover from the rough hole.
“I’m just a lot better than I’ve been,” Woodland said. “I’m playing as good a golf as I’ve ever played, so when I make a mistake I know I’m able to get it back, which is nice.”
He attributes part of his improvement to working with Greg Norman, the superstar whose bag Tony Navarro used to carry. Navarro’s on Woodland’s bag now.
“Greg Norman’s really helped me out with the putting,” Woodland said. “We changed some things early this year and I’m starting to understand it and it’s starting to click. He’s helped me with everything. He’s been great for me.”
Norman’s putting tips weren’t applied on Woodland’s — or anybody else’s for that matter — biggest putt of the day. If he caught a bad break and followed it with bad shots on No. 7, Woodland recovered a little bit of that fortune on No. 12 when his ball rolled into an odd spot 87 feet from the cup.
“I had a bad lie,” Woodland said. “I would have chipped it normally, but the ball was sitting in a little hole I didn’t think I could get to it chipping.”
So he left the pin in, gave it a good ride with his putter and sank it.
Woodland earlier had chipped in from in front of the green on No. 6 to a front pin for a birdie.
Recently engaged, Woodland put a great show for fiance Gabby Granado, parents Dan and Linda Woodland, high school coach Lynn Riney and New York Knicks center Cole Aldrich, a pal of Woodland’s.
“I feel great about where I’m at,” Woodland said. “I like this golf course. I’m comfortable here. I’m really comfortable where my game is, so I’m excited about (the final round).”