PACIFIC PALISADES – Today is validation day for Charles Howell III.
He enters today’s final round of the Nissan Open at majestic Riviera Country Club with a three-shot lead over pesky veteran Nick Price. A completion of the job, a victory today, will go a long way toward validating Howell as one of the top guns in golf today.
A win here for Howell, who has one career victory, winning the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill last year, would stamp him as one of the players to beat because of the strong field playing here this weekend.
More specifically, a win at this event, with Tiger Woods in the field, will open a lot more eyes around the PGA Tour and the rest of the golfing world than did his first career win.
After his sterling second-round 65 Friday, Howell shot a 3-under-par 68 yesterday to stand at 11-under for the tournament.
“To feel like I’ve arrived in a golf sense I think I have to win a tournament with Tiger in the field,” Howell said before his round yesterday.
Woods took care of part of Howell’s business by flaming out with a 2-over-par 73 yesterday, falling off the leader board in a hurry with a double-bogey 7 on the first hole yesterday.
Woods will be the last thing on Howell’s mind today, as he begins the day 11 shots off the lead at even par.
Most impressive about Howell yesterday was the way he separated himself from the field with a quick start and an eagle on No. 11.
“If you play well, you can do that here,” Woods said, referring to Howell. “He’s obviously doing it right now. If everything stays where it is at right now, he’s in pretty good position.
“On this golf course, it’s very difficult to have to shoot 62 or 63. If [Howell] goes out there and plays the way he’s been playing he’ll be just fine.
“I’ve always liked Charles,” Wodos said. “I played him in the U.S. Amateur at Pumpkin Ridge and even then he was a heck of talent.
“It was just a matter of him growing into the game. He’s done a heck of a job getting stronger and better. There’s no one out here probably that works harder than Charles; he spends a lot of time practicing and it’s obviously paying off.
“I don’t expect him to come back [to the pack today], not the way he’s playing.”
Price, who said he’s known Howell since he was 10 years-old, knows the kind of challenge he faces trying to catch the young gun today.
“I have known Charlie since he was about 10 when he came to [instructor David] Ledbetter,” Price said. “He was skinny and he hit more balls than I have seen a kid in my life do, and he hasn’t changed. He has a lot of game.”
Price, too, accurately predicted that Howell would be “playing last a lot” yesterday, referring to his uncanny length for his scant 150-pound frame.
“We saw him play at a [high] standard at the end of last year that I think we are going to see a lot more of,” Price said. “He is just starting to get comfortable out here. He is, pound for pound, probably the longest hitter of the golf ball I have ever seen. I don’t know if he weighs 140 pounds. What does it say in the media guide?”
When told the PGA Tour guide lists Howell 155 pounds, Price laughed, thinking about the long bombs he watched Howell launch yesterday.