JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Paul Goydos figured Liberty National at least would look good on television, with the Statue of Liberty and so many other New York landmarks serving as a spectacular backdrop at The Barclays.
Inside the ropes is starting to look pretty good to him, too.
Goydos put together three consecutive birdies early in the third round Saturday to build a lead that stood up until Steve Marino ran off three consecutive late on the cloudy afternoon to catch him for the lead. Both shot 3-under 68 and were at 9-under 204.
As for the scenic shots?
"I haven't been watching," Goydos said. "Thankfully, I've been playing well and I've been on TV."
That might not make him the star attraction today.
Goydos has only two victories in his 17 years on the PGA Tour. Marino made his debut as a PGA Tour rookie in 2007 at the last tournament Goydos won (Sony Open) and is still looking for his first victory.
The focus shifted behind them on a day of light rain that didn't last long. Suddenly lurking is Tiger Woods, who suggested the players used "ladies' tees" Saturday even though he remained confounded by the putting surfaces. Woods was capable of making enough putts for a 67 that put him within five shots of the leaders.
Asked if he would be looking over his shoulder, Goydos kept it all in perspective.
"First of all, he's going to be in front of me, not behind me," he said. "So I'll be looking straight ahead."
The opening event of the PGA Tour playoffs for the FedEx Cup has several possibilities:
Of the top six players on theleaderboard, only Steve Stricker, who is three shots behind, has won this year. He kept bogeys off his card, yet only made birdies on the par 5s for his 68.
Marino had two chances to win this year, losing a playoff at the Colonial and sharing the 36-hole lead with Tom Watson at the British Open. He might find out how that experience will help him at Liberty National.
"I felt like I was ready to win back then, too," Marino said. "It just didn't turn out that way. I just feel like I'm playing real well right now, and I'm going to do the best I can. I think if I play well, I'll have a good chance to win the golf tournament."
Two shots out of the lead were Fredrik Jacobson (72), the Swede with moving parts in his swing, who is winless in his six years on the PGA Tour and 24-year-old Webb Simpson, who overcame a triple bogey to shoot 72 and givehimself a chance to become the first rookie to win on tour this year.
EUROPEAN TOUR Hedblom leads
GLENEAGLES, Scotland - Peter Hedblom shot a 4-under-par 68 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Paul Lawrie after three rounds at the Johnnie Walker Championship.
The 39-year-old Swede, who lost a playoff at the Dutch Open last week, was at 8-under 208. Lawrie (73) dropped into second place after bogeys on Nos. 15-16 Gleneagles.
Hedblom's only two victories came at the 1996 Moroccan Open and the 2007 Malaysian Open.
Steven O'Hara, who barely made the cut Friday, had the day's best round with a 66 in the morning. He was two strokes behind Hedblom and tied forthird with Jamie Donaldson (70), Gregory Bourdy (71) and Soren Hansen (71).
NATIONWIDE
Boros holds on to lead
MOSCOW, Pa. - Secondround leader Guy Boros fired a 2-under-par 68 Saturday to hold on to the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic lead in a crowded field at the Elmhurst Country Club.
Boros is at 11-under 199 for the tournament. Seven golfers are within two strokes of Boros, including Chris Tidland and Henrik Bjornstad, who are only one shot back at 200. Gary Christian,who fired Saturday's low round of 7-under par 63, is among five golfers at 201.
Brenden Pappas (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot an even-par round Saturday and is seven shots in back of Boros at 206.
LPGA Nordqvist holds lead
NORTH PLAINS, Ore. - Rookie Anna Nordqvist shot a 3-under-par 69 Saturday to take a one-shot lead over Seon Hwa Lee and Ai Miyazato going into the final round of the Safeway Classic.
Nordqvist, who won the LPGA Championship earlier this year, was at 10-under 134 after the first two rounds at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.
Miyazato had three consecutive birdies on Nos. 8-10, all par-5 holes, to climb up the leaderboard with a 68, while Lee sank a birdie putt on the par-4 18th hole and shot a 70.
Nordqvist, who is from Sweden and played at Arizona State, followed up bogeys on the eighth and 14th holes with birdies.
"I just kept hanging in there," she said.
In June, Nordqvist won the LPGA Championship by four strokes over Lindsey Wright. It was just her fifth professional tournament.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
McNulty, Roberts tied
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. - Mark McNulty went to the range after the first round of the Boeing Classic to try to figure out how a sizzling first nine holes got away from him.
McNulty apparently solved the problem and didn't make the same mistake in Saturday's second round. McNulty shot a 7-under-par 65 and shares the lead heading to today's final round.
Loren Roberts had four birdies in his final six holes to match Mc-Nulty's 65 and finish at 11 under. They hold a two-shot lead over Bernhard Langer and first-round leader Mark O'Meara.
Sports, Pages 25 on 08/30/2009