Going into the final round, you have to ask yourself two questions: is Jay Haas really this good, and can Tiger finally convert a win?
There’s a reason Haas was on the abysmally-bad US Ryder Cup team: he’s a good golfer who has excellent course management skills. At East Lake this week, with the winds swirling and the fairways tight, precise shots and a steady, confident stroke have given Haas a share of the lead at nine-under par.
The other way to win at East Lake is to be long, where Tiger continues to lead the Tour. Tiger stormed ahead today and shot five-under par to give him an equal share of Jay Haas’s lead. However, where Haas has shot 67-66-68, Tiger has followed a first-round 72 (E) with rounds of 64 and 65. Obviously if this trend continues, Jay Haas will be three or four strokes back by the end of Sunday.
Still, don’t count Jay Haas out just yet. With two second-place finishes on the Champions’ Tour and a third-place finish at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Jay’s due for a win before the close of the year.
Oh, and Vijay? Unless he shoots somewhere below 60, he’s lost his chance to convert his tenth win of the season. Singh sits eleven shots off the lead, at two-over par.