What many thought would happen Saturday in Greensboro didn’t.
Tiger Woods went into the third round with a share of the 36-hole lead with Tom Hoge and surely Woods would once again end up on top of the Wyndham Championship leader board at day’s end.
He didn’t.
Woods didn’t even make it to the final group on Sunday, a four-foot putt at the 18th hole for par lipped out and after going 28 holes without a bogey, Woods made one and finished at 13-under par, two behind Gore. He finished with 68 and the birdies didn’t come as easily for him as the first two days. He had two on the front and only one on the back at the user-friendly par five 15th.
Gore tore it up on moving day. He shot his career best on the PGA Tour, an eight-under par 62 that put him alone at the top at 15-under par.
His wasn’t the only 62. Jonas Blixt got out in the front of the leaders and finished well ahead of them with his own eight-under effort that put him at 13-under. Since he posted first, he got into the final pairing with Gore for Sunday.
Gore and Blixt, like Woods, are trying to play their way into the season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs.
There is likely to be a free-for-all run at the title on Sunday.
You have Gore and Blixt up last. Woods will tee off just before them with Scott Brown in the penultimate group.
There are five players at 12-under, three of them are solid veterans — Webb Simpson (64), Paul Casey (66) and Brandt Snedeker (67). The story of each round has been someone going out and shooting 62.
Gore never thought about that number, he just played. “I just went out and played golf,” he said. “I didn’t worry. I just played golf. Didn’t think about the FedEx Cup standings or anything else. I did make some putts early. The greens, they’re flawless. They’re perfect — enough grain to keep you on your toes.”
Blixt was solid in his effort. “I hit the fairways and put myself in position to attach the holes,” he said. “I came up with a good game plan and it worked out today.”
