Sunday 5 July 2015 08:51, UK
Jason Bohn stormed into a share of the lead at the Greenbrier Classic as Tiger Woods slipped seven shots off the pace during the third round in West Virginia.
Bohn sunk a tricky birdie putt at his final hole on Friday to make the halfway cut with nothing to spare, and he took full advantage of his lifeline as he ripped through the field with a spectacular nine-under 61.
The American journeyman, twice a winner on the PGA Tour but not since 2010, got off to a hot start with birdies at three of the first six holes, and he reeled off three in a row around the turn before giving a shot back following a poor approach to the 11th.
But he steadied himself with a couple of pars before producing an outstanding finish with four birdies over the last five holes in a career-best round which earned him the clubhouse lead on 11 under.
Despite finishing before the halfway leaders had even teed off, Bohn's score was never surpassed throughout the remainder of the day, although he was caught by Sean O'Hair, SJ Park and Bryce Molder.
O'Hair stuttered to the turn level for the day before enjoying a run of four birdies in six holes on the inward stretch to post a 66, a score matched by Park after the South Korean made two birdies on each nine and kept a bogey off his card.
Molder was also without a blemish, turning in 31 and parring every hole on the back nine to return a 67 and make it a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.
Bunched leaderboard
The quartet have a one-stroke lead over Justin Thomas, who fired a flawless four-birdie 66, while Danny Lee, David Hearn and Chad Collins all handed in 68s to join Thomas on 10 under par.
English veteran Greg Owen is just three shots off the pace in a tightly-packed leaderboard, although he missed chances to contend for the outright lead as he carded one birdie, one bogey and 16 pars in a workmanlike 70.
But Woods has much ground to make up after failing to build on a bright start which yielded birdies at the second and seventh holes, his momentum halting after he missed the green at the short eighth.
He got back on track with a birdie at 10, but his woeful drive at the next came to rest inches outside the out-of-bounds markers as he ran up a double-bogey six, and he dropped further shots at 13 and 17 as a one-over 71 left him on four under.
"I gave myself plenty of looks early to get something going," he said. "I could have been three, four or five under on the front nine and got nothing out of it.
"I had the blocks with my putter, but we'll just keep working on what we're working on. I feel like I'm really close to putting it together."
