
PGATOUR.COM's Brian Wacker is inside the ropes with Sunday's final twosome at THE PLAYERS Championship -- third-round leader Alex Cejka and the world's top-ranked player, Tiger Woods. Check back often for the latest entries from the Stadium Course (all times ET). Also, be sure to check out our final-round Live Report. | Follow Cejka-Woods on Shot Tracker
TIGER 73, CEJKA 79 (6:44 p.m.): Even though Tiger had no chance of winning, he was visibly mad at himself for missining his putt on 17 as he made his way to the 18th tee. Woods missed another fairway off the tee, though this time just barely, but his approach shot was one of his better ones of the day, even though it was 33 feet away. That's what kind of day it was for Woods -- not his best. Both men two-putted for par, but it wasn't the ending they hoped for.
| Follow the players | ||
|
PARS AT 17 (6:32 p.m.): At 17, Tiger went right over the bunker and at the flag, leaving himself a 7 footer, while Cejka hit his shot to the middle of the green. For Woods, it was the first time he gave Steve Williams knuckles. Cejka two-putted, while Woods badly missed his birdie attempt, playing a right to left break that wasn't there. Par for both men.
ENTERTAINING THE CROWD (6:22 p.m.): While waiting for the fairway to clear on 16, Tiger gave the fans something to cheer about by bouncing the ball off the face of his 3-wood and then balancing it there. It drew a rise out of the crowd and even caddie Steve Williams smiled. Tiger then hit a perfect draw down the fairway. Woods hit the left side of the green on his approach, while Cejka, who had nearly an identical yardage as Woods, rolled just off the back. Stenson three-putted for par, while Woods made his birdie attempt. As the two made their way to 17 tee, chants of Tiger rang out and they could see Henrik Stenson's name atop the leaderboard at 12 under and on his way to his first PLAYERS title.
THE ROARS ARE SOMEWHERE ELSE (6:05 p.m.): At 15, another slightly errant tee ball from Tiger left him in the rough with his ball half buried, but his approach shot did hold the green, albeit releasing to the back. Cejka also found the green with a terrific shot out of the fairway bunker and both made par with two-putts. Meanwhile, more roars in the distance from the direction of 17.
TIGER BIRDIES NO. 14 (5:43 p.m.): There is as little energy following a Tiger group as I've ever seen and most of that has to do with his position on the leaderboard, even as he almost holed out from the fairway on No. 14. There have been periodic roars from elsewhere on the course and as Woods and Cejka made their way to the green, they could see they are well back leader Henrik Stenson, who is 10 under. Cejka missed his birdie attempt, while Woods made his.
FADING HOPES (5:31 p.m.): As Tiger made his way to the par-3 13th, you could see a look of bewilderment on his face and see the crowd following his group start to thin out a little, at least on a relative scale. The struggles continued for Woods here, too, as he came up short and right on his tee shot, leaving an impossible pitch over a mound to the pin. Tiger made a great par, while Cejka bogeyed but it feels like most of the air has been sucked out of this group.
PAR FOR TIGER AT 12 (5:23 p.m.): At the 12th, Tiger finally was able to turn a 3-wood over, splitting the fairway, as did Cejka. Cejka's approach with a wedge went right at the flag but with greens as hard as these, you could hear the hard thud, as the ball rolled off the back and down the shaved bank. Tiger's shot from an identical distance did check up but left him with a 16 footer that he slid by. Meanwhile, Cejka bogeyed. They're both running out of time.
PARS AT NO. 11 (5:12 p.m.): For the first time all day, Tiger and Cejka are next to each other in the fairway off the tee after both split the fairway on No. 11. Neither player could find the green, though. Tiger missed right into the greenside bunker -- the same place he missed in his practice round. Cejka, whose approach missed left, tried to flop it close, but that shot didn't hold the green. Both players managed to salvage par.
TIGER BOGEYS, CEJKA BIRDIES NO. 10 (4:50 p.m.): It's a long walk from the ninth green to the 10th tee and there was nearly as long a wait for Tiger and Cejka. When they did hit, Tiger hit another 3-wood he was displeased with after he pushed it right and short. With a buried lie, Tiger launched a short iron at the middle of the green but it again didn't hold. Tiger flubbed his chip shot to the downhill pin and was left with the three worst words in golf for par -- stll your turn. Another bogey for Tiger. Cejka made birdie, his first of the day. He still has time to rally.
PARS AT NO. 9 (4:30 p.m.): Tiger just hit first driver of the day, hitting it into the left rough just off the fairway on No. 9. That meant a layup on the par-5. Cejka, not a long hitter, did the same. With the wind up, Tiger tried to hit a low spinner to the back pin location, but like a lot of shots, it didn't hold, rolling just off the back and onto the upslope. He couldn't hole it, but did save par. Cejka also made par, two-putting for par.
WOODS PARS, CEJKA BOGEYS (4:13 p.m.): With a middle right pin and the wind swirling into the players' faces at No. 8, neither player was able to find the green with Cejka left and Woods right. Cejka missed his putt for another bogey, while Woods rolled in his par. Meanwhile, Henrik Stenson's named moved to the top of the board at 8 under. You can feel the crowd wanting to explode for Tiger, but he's just not clicking.
TIGER DROPS SHOT AT NO. 7 (4:07 p.m.): Hitting 3-wood at No. 7, Tiger lost it right again, landing in the fairway bunker. That resulted in him taking a violent swipe with the club and uttering a few choice words. Still, he's just two off the lead as we near the turn. For one of the few times today, Woods and Cejka chatted as they came up the fairway, perhaps discussing why they seem to be missing a lot of shots. Woods had a big lip in front of him out of the bunker so all he could do was punch out. Tiger took unusually long trying to figure out his approach and when he did finally hit it, he spun it off the green. Tiger couldn't chip in to save par, while Cejka managed to get and down for par.
TIGER BIRDIES NO. 6 (3:49 p.m.): Another hole another fairway wood for Tiger. He mashed it down the right side at No. 6 and hit a wedge to about 15 feet, while Cejka's approach again came up short and right. This time he was blocked at going at the hole by two skinny trees and had to chip well left of the hole. Cejka came up short and walked quickly to tap in. He's starting to look like the Alex of old -- short on patience. Meanwhile, Tiger just made his first birdie of the day, drawing his first thunderous cheer of the day.
CEJKA BOGEYS NO. 5 (3:35 p.m.): Another 3-wood for Tiger on No. 5 and this one was killed up the right side of the fairway with a perfect cut. How long is Tiger? Well, he outdrove Cejka, who hit driver. Cejka's second shot from a sidehill lie with the ball below his feet went left again, coming up short. Woods, though, barely found the green short and left. Right now, neither one of these guys looks like they are capable of winning, especially Cejka, who lost the lead after just four holes today and is now one stroke behind.
DOUBLE BOGEY FOR CEJKA (3:21 p.m.): Tiger still hasn't hit a shot where he hasn't let go of the club in some level of disgust and it happened again on No. 4, where Woods lost his 3-wood right and into the bunker and Cejka did the same with a driver. Woods layed up short, while Cejka gambled and lost, finding the water that runs along the left side of the green. Tiger, hitting from 80 yards, stuck it to inside 10 feet, but could only manage a two-putt. Ditto Cejka, who two-putted after hitting the green following his drop. Cejka's double-bogey leaves him tied for the lead with Ben Crane.
PARS AT NO. 3 (3:08 p.m.): The third hole is all about the wind and it's blowing gently, but the air is hot and heavy and the green rock-hard and yellow. Neither player was able to hold the putting surface but each managed par.
WOODS BOGEYS PAR-5 SECOND (2:58 p.m.): Tiger's second 3-wood of the day didn't go so well as he yanked it left, causing him to yell "Fore!" after coming it from the outside on his swing. Woods got a break much the way Cejka did on No. 1 when his ball stayed out of deep trouble, but he didn't put a good swing on it, losing it to the right and into the water. The same inconsistent swings that have plagued Woods all week seem to be continuing so far. Cejka is having his own issues. He missed the green long on his approach and had an impossible chip, which ran nearly all the way to the front of the green before he burned the edge and taped in for par. Woods also burned the edge and two putted for bogey.
BOGEY FOR CEJKA (2:40 p.m.): Cejka got a break when his tee ball landed just into the rough and was sitting up. He had a clear shot to the green, but his ball bounced a few feet in the air when it hit the green and went off the back. Woods, meanwhile, came up short and right on his wedge approach, barely finding the front right of the green a level below the hole. Cejka wasn't able to get up and down and made his first bogey of the day.
PACKED CROWDS (2:29 p.m.): As expected, the stands are full as Woods and Cejka arrive at the first tee. Cejka hit driver, Tiger 3-wood -- the same clubs they've hit here all week. Cejka went left off the tee, while Woods lasered a cut up the left side. Meanwhile, Ian Poulter and Ben Crane have already picked up a shot on Cejka's lead, getting to within four before Cejka even hit a shot. Woods is wearing a mock turtleneck in his traditional Sunday red; I can't remember the last time he wore a mock.
PREP TIME (2:18 p.m.): We're a few minutes away from Alex Cejka and Tiger Woods teeing off and Cejka looks relaxed as he finishes up putting. Woods, meanwhile, was on the back range and just made his way toward the main practice green. The throng of fans is already two and three deep around the practice green, where Woods is working on short putts on the baked out and yellowish green.