In golf it did not end until the ball entered the last hole, but Rory Mcilory, at the end of 54 holes, with -12, is a leader for the third day below at the Honda Classic of Palm Beach Gardens and seems intentioned to stay ahead until the end. The 18-year-old hasn't won on the American PGA Tour for 25 months and this is an opportunity not to be missed.
Tiger Woods is on a comeback, but the gap is still seven shots, too many, at least apparently, knowing that Tiger is unlikely to win when he's so far behind on the final day and Rory is unlikely to lose when he has a sizable lead. However Woods closed his best round of the year yesterday: 65 (-5), with 11 greens taken in regular shots and only 23 putts. It would be nice to see an exciting finish, like the one two years ago, when Tiger, on the last day, played 9 under par and almost managed to catch the winner McIlory.
Between the two litigants, the 16 players who divide them in the standings will try to have their say: the second Russel Henley (-10), an American of the same age as Rory, number 110 in the World Ranking, who yesterday made an eagle by sinking the second shot at par 4 of hole 14; The third Russel Knox (-9), 29 years old, Scottish, number 216 in the world. Furthermore, the Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas is playing quite well, fourth with -8 and Luke Donald who, finally, is having an excellent tournament and is fifth with -7. Too bad for Brendon de Jonge, who lost 6 shots yesterday, falling from second to 22nd place. Matteo Manassero also retreats a little further, finishing in 71 (+1), dropping to 55th position.
As for the European tour, in South Africa, things are going quite well at the Tshwane Open for Edoardo Molinari who is fifth after three rounds, with -11. Edo's task at Copperleaf is comparable to Tiger's at the PGA National: between him and Ross Fisher, who leads the standings with 18 under par, there are 7 shots. A distance to be filled in just four hours of play. Nothing is impossible.
