Zach Johnson was four shots off the lead but still hopeful when he teed off in the third round of the Chevron World Challenge on Saturday in Southern California.
“You never know, 36 holes (left), right?” Johnson said. Speaking of Tiger Woods and the other leaders, Johnson said, “Hopefully I get to see them.”
Johnson actually went right past them Saturday, using a dramatic hole-out for an eagle from the 18th fairway to take a one-shot lead over Woods in the 18-player benefit event.
From 163 yards, Johnson used a 7-iron to hit a shot that took a couple of bounces on the 18th green at Sherwood Country Club and disappeared into the cup.
The crowd lining the green, many bundled in ski caps and gloves on a cold, windy day, erupted in cheers as Johnson raised his arms in celebration.
The eagle gave Johnson a 4-under 68 and a three-round total of 8-under 208. Woods, who started the day with a three-shot lead, struggled to get traction in the wind and shot a one-over 73.
First-round leader K.J. Choi was in third place at 5 under par.
Woods said he hit his ball well but was compromised by the windy conditions. His round included bogeys on three of the par-5 holes, normally where he scores well.
“I hit a lot of good shots today” but the “wind was very gusty and swirling all over the place,” he said. “It was tough out there. I played the par 5s awful.”
Johnson, 35, won the 2007 Masters, but the Iowa native often has struggled the past two years. His last win came in May 2010, at the Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas.
Woods has gone a full two years without winning.
ELSEWHERE
Defending champion Lee Westwood shot a bogey-free 10-under 62 to take a seven-stroke lead through three rounds of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa. … Mark Calcavecchia shot a 5-under 67 to win the Nedbank Senior Challenge by a stroke over Ian Woosnam (70) and Bernhard Langer (71) at the Gary Player Country Club. … Spain’s Alvaro Quiros shot a 3-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Sweden’s Peter Hanson (65) in the Hong Kong Open. U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy (70) fell three strokes behind. … Will Claxton shot a 2-under 70 on PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course in La Quinta, Calif., to take a two-stroke lead after the fourth round of the six-round PGA Tour qualifying tournament. … Christine Song, from Fullerton, Calif., shot an even-par 72 on LPGA International’s Legends Course in Daytona Beach, Fla., to take a four-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA’s qualifying tournament.
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