Tiger leaves a trail that's difficult to follow

Tiger leaves a trail that's difficult to follow
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

ST ANDREWS (SCOTLAND), JULY 23: Nothing short offalling into a pot bunker and breaking his leg or being struck by a bolt of lightning can stop Tiger Woods from becoming the youngest player to win a Grand Slam of Majors here on Sunday.

This week he is on the verge of beating the Open aggregate record score at the home of golf -- 18-under par set by Nick Faldo ten years ago.

For a minute it looked as if Woods might be human when he dropped a shot on the second to record his first bogey in a major championship in 64 holes but any such idea was quickly dispelled when he promptly birdied the next hole.

``It was tough to get going,'' said Woods afterwards. ``I played conservatively for most of the day,'' he added.

Veteran Bernhard Langer, three-years without a win, shot a blistering six-under 66 earlier in the day and warned that the course was there to be had. ``There is a 63 or a 64 to be had out there if the conditions stay the same. I would be surprised if Tiger does not finish today 15 or 16 under or even better,'' said Langer.

In the end nobody beat 66, but David Duval will find it hard to believe he managed to shoot the same score -- only one off the course record, and still be six shots behind Woods.

But the world number two refused to concede defeat.

``I believe I can win this tournament,'' insisted Duval, who has not won a tournament for nearly 17 months.

``I feel in the last couple of weeks my game has comeback. I'm going to be trying to win my first major championship; he's going to be going for the slam so there is going to be pressure on both parties. I know I need to score a 66 again if not a few better,'' he added.

He may be correct but no one in the world is playing the same game as Woods.

Faldo -- a three-time open champion -- has no doubts. ``He is on a different wavelength. He is just not making a mistake,'' said the Englishman.

``Right now, he's almost the best player ever but, if he wins this one, he will be the best,'' said Colin Montgomerie, the top European money winner for the past seven years.

Chasing Duval for the best of the rest title is Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn.

The cigar-smoking Clarke, who was reared on Links Golf, and Bjorn both shot a four-under 68. Bjorn accepted that second place was all that was available to him on the final day.

A bitter Ernie Els stormed off the 18th green and straight into a waiting car after a double bogey shattered his chances of challenging Woods to get revenge for his crushing defeat at Pebble Beach.

At one point the South African had got to within two shots of Woods but when he dropped two shots at the 12th it knocked the wind out of him and he limped home with a two-under 70 and eight shots behind the American.

Sergio Garcia's dream of playing in today's final group were killed when his putting deserted him and then buried at the infamous 17th road hole. In the end it was a double bogey and although he birdied the last, at ten shots behind Woods his victory hopes had been dashed.