Reuters: Sports News: Goosen keeps Masters dream alive at Palm Harbor

Reuters: Sports News Reuters.com is your source for breaking news, business, financial and investing news, including personal finance and stocks. Reuters is the leading global provider of news, financial information and technology solutions to the world's media, financial institutions, businesses and individuals. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Goosen keeps Masters dream alive at Palm Harbor Mar 18th 2012, 00:03 Retief Goosen of South Africa watches his tee shot on the first hole during a practice round for the WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championships golf tournament in Marana, Arizona, February 20, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Matt Sullivan Sat Mar 17, 2012 8:03pm EDT (Reuters) - Ailing South African Retief Goosen birdied three of the last five holes to surge into a tie for the lead in Saturday's third round of the Transitions Championship at Palm Harbor, Florida, and keep his Masters hopes alive. The twice former U.S. Open champion, who has been battling a bad back since midway through last year, fired a six-under-par 65 on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook to finish level with American Jim Furyk (66) at 11-under 202. Furyk, whose only major victory came at the 2003 U.S. Open, was one stroke in front before he three-putted to bogey the par-four last. South Korean Bae Sang-moon, a rookie on the 2012 PGA Tour, was a further stroke back after carding a 68, level with overnight leader Jason Dufner of the U.S. who returned a level 71. Goosen, however, was the surprise package of the day, having earlier pulled out of from next week's Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill to get further treatment on his troublesome back. The 43-year-old, who won this event in 2003 and again in 2009, will have protein injections next week to help alleviate two bulging disks. "My back has been the main issue since last year," Goosen told reporters. "I pulled out of the British Open and the PGA (Championship) and then took a few months off towards the end of the year. "I was then back playing in November, December and January in South Africa but the last three weeks, it's really just started getting bad again. "So we withdrew from Bay Hill yesterday and I'm going to get the injections done on Wednesday. Hopefully I'll be ready to get going again after the Masters, or maybe at the Masters if I play well tomorrow." Goosen, whose most recent PGA Tour victory came at the 2009 Transitions Championship, has slipped to 52nd in the world rankings and needs to return to the top 50 on Monday to qualify for the first major of the year. "Augusta and St. Andrews are my two favorite golf courses in the world and the Masters is not an event you want to miss," said the South African. "I've been playing there for quite a number of years now. I'm determined to keep going." British world number two Luke Donald (70) and former world number one Ernie Els of South Africa (68) were three strokes off the pace at eight under going into Sunday's final round. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Indian Wells, California; Editing by Steve Keating) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions