Ogilvy aware of looming Woods

2008-03-22

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By Andrew Both PA SportsTicker Golf Writer

MIAMI, Florida (Ticker) -- Tournament leader Geoff Ogilvy suggestedan "Aussie voodoo" might be the secret to beating Tiger Woods atthe CA Championship.

More realistically, however, Ogilvy and compatriot Adam Scottwill have to play some of the best golf of their lives to fendoff the greatest player of this, or perhaps any othergeneration.

Woods, who is seeking to stretch his incredible winning streakto eight tournaments, will start Saturday's third round onestroke behind Ogilvy, with Scott three strokes behind the leaderat Doral Resort's Blue Monster.

There is a further three-stroke gap to anyone else, which mightnot matter so much if not for the presence of Woods.

When it was pointed out to Ogilvy that one bookmaker had hiswinning odds at 5/1, with Woods a prohibitive 1/5, he did nottake it as a slight on his ability, but rather a reflection ofreality.

"He hasn't lost too many when in contention after two rounds,"said Ogilvy, the 2006 United States Open champion. "He hasn'tlost too many at Doral. Everything is in his favor. It wouldbe pretty brave for any bookie to have odds larger than thatalthough at 5/1, maybe if I wasn't playing I'd have a go.

"This is a great opportunity to beat perhaps the guy who'sbecoming the best golfer of all-time. Just to get a chance tocompete against him is fun, but to get a chance to beat him,you've got nothing to lose."

Ogilvy, a keen student of the game, knows how rareseven-tournament winning streaks are - another reason he's sokeen to be the one to end it.

"Winning as much as he does is pretty astonishing," Ogilvy said."He obviously knows how to win and he's never out of it. Imean, seven in a row, that's a good career (for other players)."

Ogilvy took the lead with a second round 67 on Friday, extendinghis bogey-free streak here to 44 holes, stretching back to lastyear's final round.

He did not drive the ball particularly well with most of his teeshots trickling into the rough, but he rarely was in muchtrouble on his way to a 12-under-par 132 halfway total.

Woods did his damage on the par-5s, picking up two eagles and abirdie for an ever so easy looking 66.

"The par-5s are where you've got to score," Woods said.

As unlikely as it seems, Woods has not conceded that he cannotwin every tournament he plays this year. At the same time, heknows past success counts for nothing, that each tournamentstarts with everyone on the same score.

"Just because I won last week doesn't win I'm going to win thisweek," Woods said. "I have to earn a victory.

"Each and every day you feel a little bit different, and youhave to make those slight adjustments to make sure you're ableto hit the shots you want to hit."

The thing is that Woods always seems able to make thoseadjustments, as Ogilvy no doubt will witness first hand onSaturday.