British Open 2012 Tee Times: Pairings and Predictions for Sunday
Adam Scott is for real, and anyone expecting a major fall-off on Sunday is going to be in for a surprise. He has been the only golfer to shoot under par in each of the first three rounds at The Open Championship.
If anyone catches him, it'll be because they play out of their mind, not because Scott has a meltdown.
He owns a four-shot lead heading into the final round, and Tiger Woods is among a group of players in pursuit of the Australian.
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Here is a look at the final leaderboard heading into Sunday:
(Full Leaderboard available at ESPN.com)
| 1 | 2 | AUS | Adam Scott | -11 | -2 | F | 64 | 67 | 68 | - | 199 |
| T2 | 1 | USA | Brandt Snedeker | -7 | +3 | F | 66 | 64 | 73 | - | 203 |
| T2 | 5 | IRE | Graeme McDowell | -7 | -3 | F | 67 | 69 | 67 | - | 203 |
| 4 | 3 | USA | Tiger Woods | -6 | E | F | 67 | 67 | 70 | - | 204 |
| T5 | 15 | USA | Zach Johnson | -5 | -4 | F | 65 | 74 | 66 | - | 205 |
| T5 | 10 | RSA | Ernie Els | -5 | -2 | F | 67 | 70 | 68 | - | 205 |
| 7 | 4 | DEN | Thorbjorn Olesen | -4 | +1 | F | 69 | 66 | 71 | - | 206 |
| T8 | 5 | RSA | Thomas Aiken | -3 | +1 | F | 68 | 68 | 71 | - | 207 |
| T8 | 15 | USA | Bill Haas | -3 | -2 | F | 71 | 68 | 68 | - | 207 |
| T10 | 15 | USA | Mark Calcavecchia | -2 | -1 | F | 71 | 68 | 69 | - | 208 |
| T10 | 5 | USA | Matt Kuchar | -2 | +2 | F | 69 | 67 | 72 | - | 208 |
| T10 | 28 | USA | Bubba Watson | -2 | -2 | F | 67 | 73 | 68 | - | 208 |
| T10 | 28 | RSA | Louis Oosthuizen | -2 | -2 | F | 72 | 68 | 68 | - | 208 |
Setting the Table for Sunday
Woods squandered opportunities on the back-nine. He bogeyed the 15th hole for the second time in the tournament, and it led to a disappointing 70 on Saturday. By my estimation, he'll need at least a 66 on Sunday to have a chance to win.
Brandt Snedeker fell apart on Saturday with a three-over 73, but he's still in the thick of things. He is at seven-under for the tournament, and if he can rebound, he has a shot.
While others have had a problem staying consistent, Scott has not. If there is a blemish in his game this week, it's that his scores have increased steadily since the first round. It could be argued that that means he isn't playing better as the event progresses, and that he will shoot his worst round tomorrow.
I wouldn't agree that will be the case, and even if he does shoot par tomorrow, it'll be tough to catch him.
The 32-year-old has risen to the occasion, and he doesn't have the disposition of a player susceptible to a complete meltdown.
Intriguing Pairings and Notable Tee Times For Final Round
The Top Four
Obviously the leaders group carries the most interest. Scott and McDowell will tee-off at 9:30 am ET, preceded by Woods and Snedeker at 9:20 am ET.
Everyone expects the Claret Jug to be awarded to one of these four men, but there are others with a shot at winning.
Knocking on the Door
Zach Johnson and Ernie Els are only six strokes back. If they produce on Sunday like they did on Saturday, with a 66 and 68 respectively, they will be in the conversation.
They tee-off at 9:10 am ET, and all it takes is one great shot or one poorly played hole by the top four to make them even more relevant.
Here is a full list of the tee-times, also available at The Open.com.
Prediction
I'm going to go out on a limb and predict an amazing finish from Woods to win The Open Championship. Scott is not going to completely wilt, but I believe he will shoot a one-over 71 on the final day.
It still equals an amazing tournament, but Woods will fire an amazing 65 to take The Open Championship by one stroke.
It's a bold prediction, but this major-less streak has to end sometime for Woods. He's playing too well for it to continue for much longer.
Why not tomorrow?
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