The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Ames, Hensby hold lead

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Monday, Jul 05, 2004

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Sport - Golf

Ames, Hensby hold lead

LEMONT (ILLINOIS), JULY 4. Australia's Mark Hensby shot a bogey-free 67 while Trinidad's Stephen Ames had a 64, giving each a share of a one-stroke lead after three rounds at the Western Open.

Ten years ago, Hensby was sleeping in his car on the driving range at Cog Hill Golf Club, where the Western Open is being played.

``One night I woke up and my toes were frozen because it was so cold,'' Hensby said, smiling at the memory. ``So I used to drive around the block with the heater on, then go back to sleep.

``For some people it sounds outrageous. To me, it wasn't that big a deal.''

Ames, having one of the best years on the tour with eight top-10 finishes, six in his last seven starts, closed his bogey-free round with birdies on his last four holes to give him a 9-under 213.

``I don't press myself to see if I should win or can win,'' said Ames, whose best finish this year was third at the Colonial. ``I'm trying to play each day as it comes, and when the chips fall where they should or they shouldn't, I'll just take it from there.''

Both were a stroke ahead of Geoff Ogilvy, who shot 68, and four strokes ahead of Tiger Woods. A day after flirting with the cut, Woods rebounded with a 6-under 65 to finish 54 holes with a 5-under 208.

Jim Furyk (68), playing his second tournament since wrist surgery in March, is also four back, as is University of Illinois golf coach Mike Small (69).

Stuart Appleby (67) and second-round co-leader Steve Lowery (70) are tied for fourth at two strokes back.

``I have a chance,'' Woods said. ``That's what I wanted to do is go out there and play well enough where at least I have a chance going into Sunday. Now if I play a very similar round like I did today, you never know.''

Hensby came to the United States from rural Australia in 1994, hoping to make it as a golfer. He stayed with some friends of friends in the Chicago suburbs, won the Illinois Amateur and pinned his hopes on PGA Tour qualifying school tournament.

But he fell short in the second round. With his host family already gone and his departure date for Australia still a few weeks away, Hensby didn't have many options. So he pulled his car up to the range at Cog Hill and slept there.

``When you grow up where I grew up in Australia, it wasn't that big a deal,'' he said. ``I slept on the clubhouse roof back home.''

People around here still remember him, so they were thrilled with his finish Saturday. Starting the day a stroke off the lead, Hensby made three birdies on the front nine and a fourth on the par-5 15th to charge to the top.

He had to scramble on his last two holes to stay there, making two beautiful up-and-downs that had fellow Aussie and playing partner Ogilvy calling him ``Seve Hensby.''

On the par-4 17th, Hensby's tee shot landed in a bunker on the left side of the fairway. He hit it heavy, and landed behind another trap on the front, left side of the green. But he hit a great chip shot to within six feet of the cup and made it to save par.

His shot on 18 was even tougher. Pushed up against the greenside grandstands, he took a drop. His chip shot ran straight at the hole and actually hit the cup, prompting a roar from the crowd. But it bounced over, rolling about 10 feet past the pin. Hensby made the putt to save par again.

``It was a shot you could stand there 100 times and not hit it again,'' Hensby said. ``I hit it perfect, and almost holed it.''

Ames had a dramatic finish on 18. He went from bunker-to-bunker with his second shot, leaving himself almost 50 feet from the pin. But he holed out, and the crowd yelled so loud it could be heard on the opposite side of the course. Ames raised his arms in triumph before climbing out of the trap.

``I only have control over one thing, and that's me,'' said Ames, who tied the course record with a 63 in 2000, when par was 72. ``If the putts are going to fall, they're going to fall. If bunker shots are going to go in the hole, that's how it goes.'' — AP

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