The Starter: Round 3, CA Championship

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Mar. 14, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM staff

LIVE@: Coverage from Doral, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET

The first group will soon tee off in today's third round of the World Golf Championships-CA Championship. Here's how it sets up:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
10:55 am ET		Tiger Woods, Ryuji Imada What will Woods do on Moving Day? He's already 10 behind Mickelson, and must get the putter going.
1:10 pm ET		Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk Furyk hasn't won since 2007, but he's off to a fine start at Doral. If the course gets tougher, watch out.
1:50 pm ET		Phil Mickelson, Nick Watney Mickelson is trying to win a World Golf Championship for the first time in his storied career.

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR Network on-site correspondent Mark Carnevale previews Saturday's third round:

I did not realize until the second round was over that it was Friday the 13th. No wonder some strange things were happening out on the course, as players got the lead then dropped like flies. One player who didn't falter, however, was Phil Mickelson. Although he did have a strange occurrence when he snapped his drive out of bounds at the par-5 12th hole, Phil was able to bounce back from that and shoot a 6-under 66 for the 36-hole lead.

One thing I've noticed about Phil during the last two rounds is that he's exuding a great deal of confidence in his shots and decision making. This is completely different from the end of 2008, when he appeared unsure of what he wanted to do with his golf shots. In fact, I brought this up to him in my interview after the round, and he acknowledged that his confidence has been a key to his good play this week.

Saturday's forecast

Mostly sunny
Temp: 83 high/69 low
Generally sunny despite a few afternoon clouds. Winds will come out of the southeast at 10 to 20 mph.

Look for Phil continue his solid play, especially with history on his side. Phil has gone on to win the tournament 16 of 28 times when he has held the 36-hole lead.

As we enter the third round, keep an eye on a couple of players, especially if the winds in South Florida pick up. Jim Furyk, who begins Saturday at 8-under, has a victory on this course but hasn't had a win on the PGA TOUR since the 2007 Canadian Open. His consistent play and course management will give him a chance over the weekend.

What more can you say about the 19-year-old sensation out of Northern Ireland, Rory McIlroy? This kid -- and yes, I can call him a kid -- has got some serious game. He seems unfazed by the stage or the situation. We are getting a look at a player who will become a mainstay in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He has already won this year on the European Tour in Dubai. Look for Rory to put a good score up on the board in round three.

I will be out following Tiger in the third round. For all his fans out there, don't worry. He will be back and with a vengeance. I expect to see some more improvement on Saturday, when he will play just his fifth competitive round since knee surgery. He's improving with each day -- after his second round at Doral, Tiger said it was better than his first round.

I know it's hard to fathom, but honestly rounds are more important than results to Tiger right now. I know there are people out there thinking that he came back to soon. My response to that is "^%&%$#&*&*()@". The man knows what to do and how to do it. Don't believe me? Just watch.

Stat of the day

Nick Watney sits at 11-under and is two strokes behind leader Phil Mickelson entering the third round. Watney has played bogey-free golf through two days and is only the third player in the history of this event to play the first two rounds without making a bogey. Tiger Woods in 2002 and Geoff Ogilvy in 2008 are the others, and both players went on to win the championship that year.

NOTEWORTHY NUGGETS:
Compiled by Elias Sports Bureau

• Tiger Woods is struggling at Doral Golf Resort & Spa but he continues to dominate on the par-5 first hole. He has birdied No. 1 in each of the first two rounds. Woods now stands a cumulative 25-under par in the 26 times that he has played the first hole at Doral Golf Resort & Spa -- or, if you like, an average of 0.96 strokes below par. That average is Woods' lowest on any hole on any course that he has played more then 15 times on the PGA TOUR.

• Prayad Marksaeng came into the second round of the World Golf Championships-CA Championship with the lead. Entering the his final hole of the day, he was still tied for the lead, but he made a seven on the par-4 18th hole and fell out of the lead. In the history of this tournament, no player who came into a round as the leader had ever suffered a triple bogey on any individual hole in that round.

• Rory McIlroy continues his amazing play at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship by dominating the par-5s. Through the first two rounds, McIlroy stands 8 under on the par-5 holes, matching three other players for the lowest par-5 score through two rounds in the history of the tournament.

• Phil Mickelson was tied for the lead in the first round and maintained his lead through the second round. Mickelson is now tied for second with Vijay Singh for most rounds led on the PGA TOUR among players who have appeared on TOUR this year. Mickelson and Singh have both led 111 rounds on TOUR; Tiger Woods leads the way with 169 rounds led.

Thus far at Doral

Round	Leader	Low round (par 72)	Key links
	Phil Mickelson, Jeev Milkha Singh, Prayad Marksaeng, Retief Goosen (-7)	65: Mickelson, Singh, Marksaeng, Goosen	Daily Wrap-up \| Live Report Ross column \| T.J.'s Take

	Phil Mickelson (-13)	64: Kenny Perry, Alvaro Quiros	Daily Wrap-up \| Live Report Ross column \| T.J.'s Take

The Film Room

	PGA TOUR Today Win McMurry updates action from the second round at Doral and previews what to watch for in the third round. Watch it
	Shot of the day Rory McIlroy takes dead aim at the pin with his approach on the par-5 8th hole, which set up an eagle for the teen. Watch it
	Mickelson out front Following his 6-under par 66, Lefty spoke with Mark Carnevale from the PGA TOUR Network on SIRIUS XM Radio. Watch it