ORLANDO, Fla. — Even with an unusual sequence of events that cost Tiger Woods a comfortable lead Saturday, he walked off the 18th green at the Arnold Palmer Invitational as close as he has ever been to ending 30 months without a PGA Tour victory.
He had a one-shot lead, and no one in golf has a more formidable record as a front-runner.
He wa s hitting the ball so well that Woods had the putte r i n h i s hand for a birdie attempt on 38 consecutive holes.
And he’s at Bay Hill, where he has won six times.
“If you’re in the lead, you’ve done some good things,” Woods said after recovering from a late double bogey for a 1-under-par 71. “That’s how I’ve always looked at it. And it’s a nice position to be in.”
Better yet would be posing with Palmer in a trophy presentation.
But there’s still one round to go before that happens, and a familiar face alongside him in the final group.
Graeme McDowell, the former U.S. Open champion who rallied from four shots behind to beat Woods in the Chevron World Challenge at the end of 2010, didn’t make a birdie until the 17th hole but kept bogeys off his card for a 71.
“There’s a fair bit of expectations on Tiger,” Mc-Dowell said after his round. “He’s looking to complete the comeback tomorrow, because there’s no doubt he’s playing great. He’s got the ball under control. But he’s got to go out there and try to win tomorrow, the same way I do and a lot of other players that have got the opportunity to win.”
It will be the 40th time Woods has taken the lead into the final round on the PGA Tour. He has failed to win just twice, one of those times as a 20-year-old in his third start as a pro.
Woods was more interested in winning for the 72nd time on tour than the 30 months it has taken to get to this point.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I’m looking forward to getting out there and playing and competing again,” Woods said. “As far as what it would mean? It would mean No. 72. Not a bad number, either.”
Woods last won a PGA Tour event at the BMW Championship on Sept. 13, 2009.
That seems to be a distant memory, even two weeks ago when he withdrew in the middle of the final round at Doral with tightness in his left Achilles tendon.
Woods played a more familiar round Saturday.
“It was a solid day,” said Woods, who was at 11-under 205.
Woods had a four-shot lead after a birdie on the 13th hole when he made what he called his one bad swing, pulling his tee shot into a buried lie in the bunker on the 14th for a bogey.
On the 15th tee, an 18-yearold passed out and a woman screamed when she saw it — all while Woods was in the middle of his swing. He couldn’t stop and hooked his tee shot out-of-bounds near a swimming pool.
That led to a double bogey, and McDowell tied him for the lead with his birdie on the 17th. Woods, however, hit a shot out of the fairway bunker and over the water to 20 feet for a two-putt birdie on the 16th to regain the lead.
EUROPEAN TOUR
McGrane on top
AGADIR, Morocco — Italian teenager Matteo Manassero stayed in the running for the Masters by moving within a stroke of the leader before darkness halted play Saturday in the third round of the Hassan II Trophy.
Damien McGrane of Ireland remained atop the leaderboard at 12 under par after 10 holes. The 18-year-old Manassero must win to boost his ranking into the top 50 to play at Augusta National.
Manassero had seven birdies, including three in a row from the 10th hole, to move to 11 under through 16 holes on the Golf du Palais Royal course.
Jose Manuel Lara of Spain is also a stroke back through 10 holes.
Michael Hoey of Northern Ireland was the clubhouse leader after a 65 that included an eagle and eight birdies to finish at 10 under. The threetime European Tour winner had a bogey on the last hole.
Strong winds delayed play Friday, and the second round was finished Saturday. Only 29 players completed the third round.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Couples, Sluman tied
SAUCIER, Miss. — Jeff Sluman shot an 8-under-par 64 Saturday to climb into a tie for the second-round lead with Fred Couples in the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic.
Sluman birdied five of his final seven holes in his bogeyfree round to reach 11 under at Fallen Oak. Couples followed his course-record 63 in the opening round with a 70 in the second round.
Jim Thorpe will join Sluman and Couples in the final group today. The 63-year-old Thorpe, two strokes back after a 65, is winless on the Champions Tour since 2007.
NATIONWIDE TOUR
Wittenberg on top
BROUSSARD, La. — Casey Wittenberg shot an 8-underpar 63 Saturday to charge to the top of the Chitimacha Louisiana Open leaderboard after three rounds.
Wittenberg’s three-day total of 195 is four shots better than Darron Stiles (65) and second-round leader Camilo Benedetti (70) entering today’s final round.
Brenden Pappas (Arkansas Razorbacks) fell from second place to a tie for 28 after a 4-over 75. Pappas is 8 under for the tournament and 10 shots in back of Wittenberg.
Tag Ridings (Razorbacks) is also 10 shots behind Wittenberg at 205. Ridings shot a 2-under 69 Saturday.
LPGA
Yani Tseng leads Classic
CARLSBAD, Calif. — Topranked Yani Tseng remained in position for her second consecutive LPGA Tour title and third in five events this year, shooting a bogey-free 3-under-par 69 Saturday to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Kia Classic.
Tseng missed a 5-foot birdie try on the par-5 17th, then saved par with an 8-foot putt on the par-4 18th to finish at 12-under 204 on La Costa’s Legends Course.
The 23-year-old Taiwanese player won the LPGA Founders Cup last week in Phoenix for her 14th LPGA Tour title, and also won the LPGA Thailand in February. She led the tour last season with seven victories — including major victories in the LPGA Championship and Women’s British Open — and finished the year with 12 worldwide titles.
South Korea’s Jiyai Shin was second after a 68.
Stacy Lewis (Razorbacks) shot a 2-over 74 and is at 3-over 219. Stacy Prammanasudh (Conway) is at 6-over 222 for the tournament after her 3-over 75.
Sports, Pages 21 on 03/25/2012