Skins players fail to reach the green on opening day

INDIO, Calif. -- The way Tiger Woods and his buddies were so accommodating on Saturday, you might think they didn't need the $300,000 up for grabs on the front nine of the Skins Game.

It's doubtful they do, but here's something that might get their attention -- playing the 18th hole today in a winner-take-all for $1 million.

That scenario became increasingly likely Saturday after a new rule that makes it harder to cash in skins led to a front nine where all four players were shut out for the first time in the 19-year history of the Thanksgiving weekend event.

If today's skins don't come any easier, Greg Norman can see himself walking to the 18th tee with Woods, Colin Montgomerie and Jesper Parnevik with the entire $1 million purse at stake.

"The chances are 70 to 80 percent we could be coming down to 18 with all the marbles on the line," Norman said.

An opening nine that in previous years would have had all but Parnevik winning money with skins ended with all four players skinless, but eagerly anticipating the back nine on today.

New rule adds suspense

A rule change designed to keep viewers tuned to their televisions ended up keeping the foursome from winning any of the $300,000 that was on the line over the front nine at the Landmark Golf Club. Under the rule, a player who won a skin had to at least tie for best score on the next hole to cash it in.

No one did, so now the 10th hole will be worth $350,000 all by itself.

"Has there ever been a day when no one won a skin?" Woods asked as he entered the media room after the round.

There hadn't, but, then again, there has never been a time in the made-for-TV event where so much was up for grabs on the back nine. That could be the case today, and Norman, for one, couldn't be happier.

"I think this is the perfect segue into Sunday television," he said. "I like the idea of going to 10 tee on Sunday dead broke and needing to win to keep it going."

Skins were won -- Woods took the first hole, for example -- but the rule change meant players couldn't collect unless they either won or tied the next hole. No one did, although Montgomerie let a chance to collect $125,000 slip away with a bad decision that led to bogey on the par-5 sixth.

Under the old format, Montgomerie would have pocketed $75,000 on Saturday, with Norman and Woods earning $25,000 apiece for their lone skins.

Four skins were won in the first five holes, but none were cashed in. The final four holes were all halved by two or more players.

In fact, the new rule meant that there was never a chance to win money on the final three holes because no skins had been won the hole before.

"It's a great format," Woods said. "You have to play well, there's no fluke involved."

Montgomerie agreed.

"It must be better for the viewers," he said. "It makes for a very interesting day tomorrow."

With Woods returning for the first time in four years and the rule change that television officials hoped would build excitement as play went on, there were high hopes that this year the Skins Game would rebound from sagging ratings and regain its prominence in a now-cluttered offseason.

Woods did his part to bring in a large gallery, but the jury is still out on whether the tradeoff in Saturday's cashless day will be worth the boost the event may get today with large sums in play.

Woods had $25,000 taken from his pocket when Norman birdied the second hole to nullify Woods' birdie win on No. 1. A hole later, Norman lost his chance to collect money when he made par and Montgomerie birdied for the skin.

Montgomerie couldn't cash in, though, making par on the next hole while Parnevik and Woods birdied.

Montgomerie, the defending champion after earning $415,000 last year, put himself in position to win at least $125,000 with a 21-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 fifth hole.

All Montgomerie had to do was tie the low score on the next hole, a 569-yard par-5, and he put himself in good position to do so by actually outdriving Woods by 7 yards on the hole.

Montgomerie made a mental mistake with his next shot, though, costing him a chance to win. Instead of laying up with an iron, he hit a 3-wood into a fairway bunker 70 yards short of the hole. He then hit his bunker shot thin over the green into a bush, ending his hopes of cashing in on the previous hole's skin.

Australian Open

GOLD COAST, Australia -- Stuart Appleby shot a 4-under-par 67 Saturday to share a three-stroke lead with Australian compatriot Scott Laycock after three rounds of the Australian Open.

Both are at 7-under 206 entering the last round of the $750,000 tournament.

Ernie Els finished with a 73 and slipped to 209. Geoff Ogilvy of Australia had a 74 and was at 210, one stroke ahead of countryman Rod Pampling (75)

Appleby, a runner-up at the Australian Open three years ago and a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, had a bogey-free round on a difficult and hilly course designed by Greg Norman. Laycock had a 71.

"That round was very hard work because there was no way you were going to have a decent, smooth round of golf," Appleby said.

Els is trying to become the third South African to win the Australian Open. The two-time U.S. Open champion has not won an individual title in 2001.

Denmark's Thomas Bjorn (70) and three Aussies -- Brett Rumford (73), Peter Lonard (73) and 19-year-old amateur James Nitties (69) -- are at 213.

-- From wire reports