Tiger Woods moved up the leaderboard on a day Alex Noren of Sweden took the lead after three rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open.
Noren (pictured), who has won six times on the European Tour and has his first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, hit a brilliant shot to within six inches for a birdie on the last hole to cap a 3-under-par 69 and took a one-stroke lead over Ryan Palmer on the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla.
“It’s a new experience for me over here, but it’s still golf,” said Noren, whose best finish in a stroke-play event on the PGA Tour in the United States was 10th in the 2017 Players Championship. “I’ve been nervous before and I’m sure I will be nervous tomorrow. I just want to get a good night’s sleep and go from there.
“It’s not the exactly the same as the European Tour. The greens are firmer and there’s more rough, but I’ve watched these guys play a lot so I know what to expect.”
Noren sank a 38-foot eagle putt on the sixth hole and overcame a double-bogey 6 at No. 12 to record a score of 11-under 205.
Palmer, who held the 36-hole lead, holed a 44-foot eagle putt at No. 13 but lost the lead with bogeys on the 14th and 16th holes in a 73, while J.B. Holmes birdied seven of his last nine holes while finishing a 65 on the back nine and is two back in a tie for third with Michael Kim of Del Mar and Cal, who came in at 70.
Woods hit the ball all over Torrey Pines, but saved himself with his chipping and putting.
“It was gross, but I just fought and grinded it out,” said Woods, who scrambled for a 70 and climbed 26 spots in the standings to a tie for 39th. “I didn’t have much, but I battled, made some putts and put up a score. My feels are all off. Playing at home is one thing and out here is something else.
“I feel than I did in the Bahamas (in a tie for ninth last month in the Hero World Challenge), but maybe that’s because it was hot and humid down there. I have to learn from this, make it easier on myself tomorrow and see if I can post a score in the 60s.”
Beau Hossler of nearby Rancho Santa Margarita carded a bogey-free 69 and is three shots behind in a tie for seventh with Gary Woodland, who birdied six of the last 11 holes in a 66, Justin Rose (69) of England, Jason Day (71) of Australia and Tony Finau (73).
Local favorite Phil Mickelson recorded a double bogey and three bogeys on the back nine in a 76 that left him tied for 44th.
For complete results, visit https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.
