European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 9, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday april 92007 stars and stripes Page 39 Eby tops Leader Board Woods a shot Back by Doug Ferguson the associated press Augusta a Tiger Woods getting into the final group at the masters made it feel like a typical saturday at Augusta National nothing else did not Woods finishing Boge bogey Only to charge up the Leader Board while on the prac Tice Range not a scoreboard that showed no survivors to Par for the first time in history and certainly not a wind chill Factor that never climbed higher than 47 de Grees Stuart Appleby emerged As the Leader despite a triple bogey on the 17th Hole with a tee shot into the Bunker guarding the seventh Green a wedge into a Bunker on the Hole he was playing and three putts compared with other Tram wrecks that was tame he wound up with a 1over 73 and in the final group with a familiar name who got there in the strangest fashion those two bogeys gave Woods a 72 the first time in 11 trips to Augusta nation Al As a pro that he has played three rounds with out break ing Par theres a lot of work left Apple by said theres 18 holes but to be Hon est if s Way More than that there was plenty on saturday the highest scoring third round since 1956 the average score was 7735 the highest Day at Augusta National since it switched to Ben grass greens in 1981 that s assuming it was grass and not Glass on those greens Retief Goosen was the Only player to break Par a 70 that moved him from last place into a tie for eighth a dozen players failed to break 80 the Only suspense was watch ing Woods move closer to a fifth Green jacket a task made easier by lat afternoon collapses Appleby was at 2over 218 the at Augusta National Geff dub Augusta love Iii Ujj 717877226 purse Tea million in 2006 yardage 7445 Par 72 to Ltd round Stuart Appleby 757073218 Tiger Woods 737472219 Justin Rose 597575219 Padraig Harrington Zach Johnson 717376220 Vaughn Taylor 717277220 Bradley dredge 757076221 retie Goosen 767670222 pumice or Craig Stadler Geoff Ogilvy Charles Howell Iii Rich Beem Stewart Cink John Rollins Aaron Baddeley Stephen Ames Jose Maria Olazabal Yongwun Yang David 747379226 757081226 757775227 718175227 777575227 777476227 797276227 757477227 747578227 757478227 707582227 Phil Rory David Angel Luke Jim Furyk Jerry Kelly Tim couples 767579230 Dean Wilson Jee Milkha Singh Vijay Singh Lee Westwood Koch of Paul Casey Lucas Glover Henri Stenson 727576223 73j179223 797372224 757574224 796877224 727677225 767178225 Herren Angel Cabrera Brett Quigley fuzz Zoeller Carl Pettersson Shingo Katayama Sandy Lyle Trevor Ummelman Billy Mayfair Ben 777579r231 767679231 747879231 797380232 747781232 767583234 767484234 Brett Arron highest 54hole Lead Ever at the masters he had a simple explanation for Bis triple bogey and he might As Well have been speaking for everyone that s Golf that s Augusta he said it was a Tough opponent and it will be a Tough opponent to Morrow with Volvo cars military sales and stars and stripes if youve got passion for the game then play to win a season pass valued at More than at a military Golf course of your Choice in Europe enter our tee off with Volvo cars military sales and stars and stripes Golf contest beginning april 12 two Lucky winners will each receive a season pass to win find the stars and stripes Golf Ball hidden in your Hometown newspaper log onto  find our contest Fink and let us know which Page the Ball is on one entry per id card military Golf directory in your Hometown newspaper april 12 for All readers in Europe excluding april 19for readers in Italy another Battle figures to come from the Guy playing alongside him Woods has never lost a major when playing in the final group although he has always had at least a share of the Lead history is on his Side too the Winner at the masters has come out of the final group every year since Nick Faldo won in 1990 Woods was playing one his Fin est rounds in the toughest condi4f tons until a tee shot into the Trees Cost him a bogey on the 17th then he came up Well Short of the 18th Green when the wind tricked him i Hung in there As Best i could Woods said i blew it at the end and made two careless bogeys the last two holes Overall Ive improved my position As of right now in Only four Back and not a lot of Guys Between myself and the Lead his position improved dramatically Over the final 90 minutes a harrowing Day at the masters Jerry Kelly was at 2 Over but dropped four shots on his last five holes Vaughn Taylor who grew up in Augusta missed a 5footer for Par on the 16th the Start of a  finish each mistake moved Woods closer to the top until there was no one Between him and a fifth Green jacket except Appleby who is trying to become the first australian to win one saturday ugly 3rd round at Augusta almost laughable the directory features All on base european Golf course locations Contact information pricing structures and More saturday from Back Page it was like trying to land a Golf Ball on your driveway Rich Beem said of the greens but your driveway has Mounds on them and they stick the pin near the Mounds sometimes you just have to Giggle about it nobody laughing now the worst finishing score Over the last 40 masters top to Bottom was Tommy Aarons 25over 313 in 2000 and Aaron was 63 years old when he signed for it you might see More than a Hal dozen players plunge past that sum today you know the tapes we have All seen of Guys shooting 30 on the Back nine said Charles Howell m also at 11over i dont think youre going to see that tape this year that s the mortal lock of the season a safer bet than Woods emerging from this pack of win burned lightweights and winning Bis fifth masters title his 13th major championship and his third consecutive major on the Road to a second Tiger slam at Oakmont in june when Woods went Boge bogey to finish his round at 3over he thought hed blown his big Chance he fired his Putter into his bag he was four shots off the Lead and plenty ticked off you hit Quality shots and just get absolutely hosed Tiger said of the swirling gusts but then Appleby trip Lebo eyed 17 As the rest of the names on the Leader Board came Tum bling South Woods backed into the final pairing with Appleby the last 16 masters champions have come out of that final pairing so Appleby should be in great shape right he wont even know in there Appleby joked of Tiger his Orlando neighbor look Tiger has always got an advantage if s obscene How much of an advantage what would you like me say that Ive cleaned him up All the time in great on the prac Tice Range i can beat him i can hit it past him no no and no the sight of the Day was Apple by shaking his Frostbitten hand and mouthing an Ouw wow after slapping an errant Bunker shot at 17 making like a Little leaguer hitting an Earl season stinger the usual Birdie and Eagle roars on the Back nine were re placed by plaintive cries for jus Tice Brett Wetterich 36hole co Leader shot 83 Geoff Ogilvy us open Champ shot 81 Mike Weir 2003 masters Champ and Tim Clark 36hole co Leader each shot 80 Ben Crenshaw two time Mas ters Champ and Arron Oberholser a tour Winner and former col lege rival of tigers each shot 84 this int supposed to happen at Augusta National the very ele ment that made the masters unique wide open targets has been escorted from the premises like a Hacker who missed the Cut in 1974 the massacre at winged foot won by Hale Irwin at 7over was the us Gas answer to Johnny Millers closing 63 at Oakmont the year before this masters is augustas answer to nuclear equipment and tigers otherworldly skill Payne had his boys water the greens before the third round a Concession to the obvious they All realized they gone too far they  blame it on the weather the men who run Augusta National created this monster Mother nature just let it out of the Cage