Strong finishing kick puts O’Hair in the lead

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. —  How do you cut it at Sawgrass? The book says you try to survive the last three holes, steer it around the intimidation factor and then leave quickly before something bites you.

Sean O’Hair had his own method Saturday, called birdie, birdie, birdie, adding up to a third-round 66, a one-shot lead and an intriguing last-round pairing with Phil Mickelson today at the Players Championship.

Mickelson didn’t exactly wilt on the closing holes, not with birdies at the 16th and 18th on his way to a three-under-par 69 that gives himself a chance to win for the 32nd time. Yet it would be the first time with his work-in-progress, revamped swing.

As for O’Hair, he’s a one-time winner. But at 24, he’s held in high regard as one of the rising stars on the PGA Tour and is leading the field in driving accuracy.

He did nothing to dispel that reputation with his slam-the-door routine at closing time to get to nine-under 207.

At the 523-yard 16th, O’Hair left his second shot just short of the green, then knocked it to within two feet and made the putt. He challenged the daunting island green at the par-three 17th, stopped the ball five feet from the hole and made that putt for his second straight birdie, then wrapped it up at the 18th when he drilled an eight-iron to within two feet and dropped in the putt.

“It’s not like I’m trying to birdie 16, 17, 18, that just happened,” O’Hair said. “Whether you want to call it luck or just hitting good shots or whatever, it was just a nice way to cap the day.”

Mickelson spent two hours on the range early in the day with swing coach Butch Harmon and said he could notice the difference.

“I’m hitting more good shots each round and that’s what I need to keep on doing,” he said.

His main problem Saturday was getting his irons as close as he wanted and he said he stalled in the middle of the round. But he called reaching three under on the day “a minor victory for me.”

Any victory would be major for O’Hair. His game is destined to draw attention away from the story of his often-told upbringing by his domineering father, whose hands-on approach included running for punishment after bogeys or poor play.

Marc O’Hair sold the family business in Texas and moved to Florida so Sean could attend the David Leadbetter Golf Academy. Sean was 15.

O’Hair turned pro at 17 and played the mini-tours and eventually made it through PGA Tour qualifying school in 2004. He won the John Deere Classic in 2005. O’Hair’s father-in-law, Steve Lucas, is his caddie, but O’Hair doesn’t speak with his father.

“The past, I don’t know how else to answer it,” he said. “I don’t think about it. It’s unfortunate that my father and I are in the situation that we’re in, but obviously that’s the way it is and we’ve got to live with it.

“It’s not like I’m playing in spite of my father. I’m playing golf because I love it. I’m playing golf because I want to be one of the better players, and that’s it.”

There are eight players within four shots of O’Hair after a relatively pain-free day at Sawgrass, where the scoring average of 71.06 was more than four shots lower than Thursday’s first round.

An exception was Tiger Woods, who took himself out of the running with a 73.

On the plus side, Jeff Quinney’s early 64 put him just two shots behind O’Hair in a tie for third with Peter Lonard, whose 68 included a double eagle at the 532-yard No. 2. Lonard hit a five-iron from 229 yards and bounced the ball straight into the bottom of the hole. He said it was his first double eagle.

“I’ve had one in practice, but that doesn’t count,” he said.

Still in the hunt are Luke Donald, Chris DiMarco, Aaron Baddeley, Jose Coceres and Carl Pettersson, all at five-under 211. Donald had the best round of that bunch, a 65.

Anyone who can say they expected this from Quinney should buy a lottery ticket. He missed his last four cuts and last week at the Wachovia, he couldn’t break 80. That dry spell detracts from his early success when he had four top 10s in a row -- at the Bob Hope, Torrey Pines, Phoenix and Riviera.

“This is not a course you really want to come in struggling in your game because Pete Dye is known for intimidating golf shots,” said Quinney, the 2000 U.S. Amateur champion. “You know, golf is just a crazy game, how it can turn so fast. I knew I wasn’t far off.”

*

[email protected]