PGA rookie Borchert gets caught up in Tadd-mania
POSTED: Sunday, January 18, 2009
On more than one occasion, Matthew Borchert was the subject of a “;poor guy”; comment from a member of the gallery yesterday at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
 HOLE OF THE DAY: TADD FUJIKAWA, NO. 11
Tadd Fujikawa hit his 4-iron just over the green at the par-3 11th. His ball came to rest against the leg of a spectator's chair. When the spectator moved the chair, the ball rolled into the depression left in the grass. After asking for a ruling, Fujikawa was allowed to place the ball. His chip from the rough from about 33 feet then rolled into the cup for his third straight birdie. Twice during his round, Fujikawa managed three birdies in a row, but this one kept his momentum going into a stretch of tough holes on the back side.
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Playing in his first tour event, there were times Borchert was seemingly swallowed up by a gallery that grew exponentially as Tadd Fujikawa tore around Waialae Country Club on his way to a 62.
Although fans began hustling to the next hole while Borchert was lining up a putt several times, he had no complaints after playing in front of the largest crowd of his career.
“;It's pretty cool—even if they're rooting for the other guy you're kind of pumped that people are out watching you,”; Borchert said.
Borchert and Fujikawa teed off with a healthy gathering about two-deep ringing the first tee box. By the time they reached No. 18, the atmosphere rivaled a Sunday afternoon.
“;I knew it was coming when I saw the pairings,”; Borchert said. “;It was a pleasure to play with Tadd. Man, what a player, nothing but good things about that guy.”;
Borchert is one of 10 rookies who had never played in a tour event prior to this week. He shot 67 on Friday to make the cut at and finished with a 3-over 73 yesterday. His lone birdie came on No. 16, raising his arms to the sky when he finally got a putt to fall.
“;Yesterday I thought I did good just to make the cut,”; Borchert said. “;I got out here today hoping I could keep riding it, but it didn't work out.”;
McNeill still alive
Third-year tour pro George McNeill fired a 5-under 65 yesterday to finish the third round tied with Fujikawa, Boo Weekley and Charles Howell III at 8-under 202. His round included six birdies and a bogey.
The 33-year-old from Naples, Fla., said he's just happy to be healthy and playing after a scare last year in which doctors threw around the word “;cancer”; before he was deemed healthy.
“;Obviously, that's something you don't want to hear,”; he said.
McNeill has steadily improved this week after opening 69 and 68 in the first two rounds. He tied for 13th here in 2007 and 17th last year.
“;I came out here for my first tour event (after winning the Q-School tournament) and loved it,”; he said. “;The wind, the bermuda. It's like back home.”;
Inside the numbers
Tour rookie Casey Wittenberg shot a nice 2-under 68 to enter today's final round tied for 50th, but don't let that score fool you—Wittenberg had an adventurous round that included the first ace of the year at the par-3 fourth.
Using a 4-iron from 201 yards out, Wittenberg followed that up with a more traditional eagle at the par-5 ninth. He also carded two bogeys, but no birdies.
He wasn't the only golfer to manage two eagles in his round. Bill Haas carded a pair at Nos. 9 and 18, as did Cameron Beckman. Haas is tied for 13th at 6 under and Beckman is tied for 17th at 5 under for the tournament.
THIRD-ROUND SCORES
At Honolulu
Purse: $5.4 million, par-70
| Zach Johnson | 69-65-66 | — | 200 |
| David Toms | 70-66-65 | — | 201 |
| Shigeki Maruyama | 65-68-68 | — | 201 |
| Brian Gay | 66-67-68 | — | 201 |
| Nathan Green | 66-66-69 | — | 201 |
| Tadd Fujikawa | 71-69-62 | — | 202 |
| George McNeill | 69-68-65 | — | 202 |
| Boo Weekley | 66-69-67 | — | 202 |
| Charles Howell III | 67-68-67 | — | 202 |
| Kevin Na | 72-65-66 | — | 203 |
| Adam Scott | 71-66-66 | — | 203 |
| Geoff Ogilvy | 66-69-68 | — | 203 |
| Bill Haas | 68-71-65 | — | 204 |
| D.J. Trahan | 71-67-66 | — | 204 |
| Jeff Klauk | 69-69-66 | — | 204 |
| Webb Simpson | 66-68-70 | — | 204 |
| Harrison Frazar | 69-70-66 | — | 205 |
| Sean O'Hair | 71-68-66 | — | 205 |
| Cameron Beckman | 72-66-67 | — | 205 |
| Steve Stricker | 70-68-67 | — | 205 |
| Brian Davis | 69-68-68 | — | 205 |
| Wil Collins | 69-67-69 | — | 205 |
| Luke Donald | 67-70-68 | — | 205 |
| Briny Baird | 69-67-69 | — | 205 |
| Steve Marino | 68-67-70 | — | 205 |
| Chez Reavie | 70-70-66 | — | 206 |
| Brendon Todd | 69-71-66 | — | 206 |
| Kevin Streelman | 70-69-67 | — | 206 |
| Kenny Perry | 69-69-68 | — | 206 |
| Tim Wilkinson | 68-70-68 | — | 206 |
| Tommy Gainey | 71-70-66 | — | 207 |
| Ryuji Imada | 71-70-66 | — | 207 |
| Bob Estes | 72-67-68 | — | 207 |
| Jimmy Walker | 73-66-68 | — | 207 |
| Tim Herron | 68-71-68 | — | 207 |
| Troy Matteson | 71-67-69 | — | 207 |
| Cliff Kresge | 69-69-69 | — | 207 |
| K.J. Choi | 68-69-70 | — | 207 |
| David Mathis | 68-68-71 | — | 207 |
| Tom Pernice, Jr. | 69-63-75 | — | 207 |
| Michael Letzig | 69-70-69 | — | 208 |
| Scott Piercy | 67-72-69 | — | 208 |
| Jerry Kelly | 67-72-69 | — | 208 |
| Rory Sabbatini | 68-70-70 | — | 208 |
| Marc Leishman | 72-66-70 | — | 208 |
| Greg Owen | 71-67-70 | — | 208 |
| Ted Purdy | 69-69-70 | — | 208 |
| Chris Stroud | 67-70-71 | — | 208 |
| Stewart Cink | 71-65-72 | — | 208 |
| Casey Wittenberg | 71-70-68 | — | 209 |
| Ernie Els | 72-69-68 | — | 209 |
| Tim Clark | 71-70-68 | — | 209 |
| Steve Lowery | 71-68-70 | — | 209 |
| Jarrod Lyle | 70-69-70 | — | 209 |
| Matt Bettencourt | 73-68-69 | — | 210 |
| Arron Oberholser | 68-73-69 | — | 210 |
| Richard S. Johnson | 70-71-69 | — | 210 |
| Spencer Levin | 71-69-70 | — | 210 |
| Michael Allen | 72-68-70 | — | 210 |
| Glen Day | 70-68-72 | — | 210 |
| Hideto Tanihara | 72-65-73 | — | 210 |
| Azuma Yano | 71-70-70 | — | 211 |
| Alex Cejka | 72-69-70 | — | 211 |
| Joe Durant | 73-68-70 | — | 211 |
| Bart Bryant | 71-69-71 | — | 211 |
| Scott Sterling | 71-69-71 | — | 211 |
| Jeff Overton | 71-69-71 | — | 211 |
| Paul Azinger | 68-73-71 | — | 212 |
| Andres Romero | 73-68-71 | — | 212 |
| Tim Petrovic | 69-72-71 | — | 212 |
| Arjun Atwal | 69-71-72 | — | 212 |
| John Merrick | 70-70-72 | — | 212 |
| Tag Ridings | 71-69-72 | — | 212 |
| Troy Kelly | 71-66-75 | — | 212 |
| Jeff Quinney | 71-70-72 | — | 213 |
| Matthew Borchert | 73-67-73 | — | 213 |
| Junpei Takayama | 71-69-74 | — | 214 |
| D.A. Points | 68-73-74 | — | 215 |
