Woods lowers the boom, holds 3-shot lead

ATLANTA - And for its playoff finale, the PGA Tour has gone with four days of the limbo.

Everyone sing, "How low can you go?"

Tiger Woods stood in the middle of the 15th fairway at East Lake Golf Club in yesterday's third round, his sole lead in the Tour Championship evaporated, and couldn't help but break into a wide smile.

Lower the stick to wherever you want, he seemed to say. He will go as low as needed.

"You just have to keep making birdies," said Woods, who proceeded to do just that at the 15th, then at the 16th, and thus did he piece back together the three-shot lead with which he had started the day - a day, it should be duly noted, the likes of which this championship has never seen.

"Extremely fun, yeah," said Zach Johnson, who nearly holed a bunker shot at the par-3 18th before settling for a round of 10-under-par 60. "That's not an opportunity you get very often."

In all due respect to Johnson, his assessment should be amended, because if ever a day was going to present chances to shoot 59, this was it. Soft and slow greens made even softer and slower by Friday night's torrential rain, East Lake was defenseless against the titanium-wielding crowd gathered to chase a $7 million purse and $35 million more in FedEx cash.

How pleasing were things? Consider that PGA Tour guys who normally can't agree on what day it is were pretty much in the same corner on East Lake.

"Today, I think it's the easiest greens I've ever putted on," said Geoff Ogilvy.

"I can't remember too many golf courses that were easier than this one," said Woods.

And from Mark Calcavecchia, who shot 63: "Great job to the staff, and see you tomorrow."

Smiles all around, for it had been a day of eagles (nine), birdies (118), and outrageously low scores, the best being Johnson's 60, though the crucial one was Woods's 64. It pretty much put him in total command of both this championship and the first FedEx Cup.

By pushing to a mind-boggling 19-under 191 on a day when the field average was 67.80, Woods will start today three clear of Calcavecchia and five in front of Sergio Garcia.

And if you want evidence of what sort of day it was, consider the Spaniard: He made seven birdies, shot 64 - and didn't pick up a shot on the leader.

Ogilvy can commiserate. Starting the day tied for 22d, the Aussie birdied more than half the holes (10) and while he roared into a share of seventh at 10-under 200, his 62 enabled him to move just two shots closer to the leader.

"I wanted to get in on a piece [of the action]," said Ogilvy, whose first two rounds of 68-70 put him miles behind.

His round complete, Ogilvy knew his chances were slim, for Woods was still on the course, but he put an optimistic spin on things: "If he has a human day, you never know . . ."

Keep dreaming, because Woods for a third straight day remained his immortal self, his confidence and his swing at an impressive level. He figured this thing out several days ago and has played accordingly.

"If you make a bunch of pars, you are going to get run over," he said.

Twice, Woods faced the possibility of his lead being trimmed.

Twice, he thwarted attempts.

At the par-3 second, Woods's playing competitor, Woody Austin, stuffed his tee shot to 18 inches, made birdie, and got within two shots. Limbo up, Woods birdied the par-4 third and par-4 fourth to put a jolt into Austin, who proceeded to bogey the par-4 fifth and fall five back. Who knows what sort of effect that explosiveness had, but the man in the sickly Team Tabasco shirt went on to shoot 69 -199 and fall from second to sixth, now eight back.

When the next challenge confronted Woods, he was equally as effective. It came from the 47-year-old Calcavecchia, who has always been at his best when the tournament turns into a birdie festival. From four back at the start, Calcavecchia went to the turn in 31 to get within two, then he birdied Nos. 10 and 12 to warm up for the action at the 15th - an 18-foot eagle putt that pushed him to 17 under.

It also pushed a smile on Woods's face as he stood in the 15th fairway and watched.

Acknowledging Calcavecchia's success at the 15th, Woods came in next and, after dropping his approach into a greenside bunker, he nearly holed out for eagle. Tapping in for birdie, Woods got to 18 under and back in front by one. But he needed just one hole to make it a three-shot lead, because after Calcavecchia made his only bogey of the day at the par-4 16th, Woods jammed his approach to 9 feet and made the putt.

It would be the final birdie of the day for Woods, but with 22 in the tournament - plus one scintillating eagle - he's in a comfortable position. He's come out a winner 51 of the 54 times he's had a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, but more striking is this: He has never lost when in possession of more than a one-shot lead after three rounds.

"He's 19 under. I've got to beat him by four," said Calcavecchia. "Not likely. It could be a race for second."