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BETHESDA, Md. – Tournament host Tiger Woods and defending champion Anthony Kim set the stage Saturday for a showdown everyone wanted at the AT&T National, with some expected company on a suddenly crowded leader board at Congressional.
Woods salvaged an even-par 70 from a roller-coaster round, losing a three-shot lead in two holes and having to scramble to regain a share of the lead.
Kim turned birdie into bogey with an ugly three-putt on No. 9 but kept his cool in warm, blustery conditions for a 2-under 68.
The 24-year-old has never finished higher than Woods in a PGA Tour event, and this will be the first time they have been paired together in any round of any tournament.
“I’m excited to be there,” Kim said. “There’s not too many chances to play against the best in the world at his tournament. I would love to play great tomorrow.”
And what does he expect from Tiger?
“I expect he’s going to be wearing a red shirt and be out there ready to go,” Kim said.
Woods has a 45-3 record on the PGA Tour when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead, although it took work to get there. He started with a one-shot lead over Rod Pampling, an advantage that was gone after one hole when Woods drove into the gallery and couldn’t reach the green out of the thick rough.
He recovered with a 25-foot eagle on the par-5 ninth for a three-shot lead, but going from bunker to bunker near the green and missing a 7-foot putt gave him a double bogey at No. 11 – Woods has played that hole in 4 over this week – and a tie for the lead.
Woods had to get up-and-down for birdie on the 16th for a share of the lead, and he made routine pars for his 70.
They were at 10-under 200, but this was far from a two-man race.
Michael Allen, who is 0-for-336 in his PGA Tour career but undefeated on the Champions Tour when he won the Senior PGA Championship earlier this year, made seven birdies in a round of 65, the best score Saturday.
He was at 9-under 201 with Cameron Beckman, who chipped in for eagle on the par-5 16th for a 66.
A dozen players were separated by four shots going into the final round, including Jim Furyk (69) and Pampling (71) at 8-under 202, and U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover (68) another shot behind.
Woods has gone five years without losing when he is atop the leader board through 36 holes, and after four hours of a few shaky shots and several times getting fooled by the wind, he was happy to still be there.
“Eighteen pars, just real consistent round,” he deadpanned.
Kim can’t wait to get started. Woods has been there before and was pacing his emotions.
“Not yet,” Woods said. “I’m just looking forward to taking the family and watching fireworks tonight, and then getting reset tomorrow morning for the round. That’s when I’ll get fired up.”
LPGA: No one was more surprised to find Eunjung Yi leading the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio, through three rounds than, well, Eunjung Yi.
“I’m the leader?” she repeated, incredulous, when asked how it felt to be leading the pack. “Really? I didn’t know that. By four strokes?”
She recorded eight birdies and an eagle in a 10-under 61 to build a four-shot lead over Song-Hee Kim (64) and Morgan Pressel (67).
The 21-year-old Yi, who has never finished better than a tie for 11th in her 23 LPGA Tour events, was at 18-under 195 after putting up the lowest third-round score in the tournament’s 25 years.
“I like this course. I can shoot very good,” she said, disdaining a translator. “We have more holes tomorrow. I’ll stay focused.”
After starting the day tied for seventh and three shots back of Sarah Kemp and Laura Diaz, Yi birdied four holes on the front side and then started the back by holing a 110-yard pitching wedge from the fairway for eagle.
Sweden’s Mikaela Parmlid was at 12-under along with the world’s No. 2 player, Yani Tseng (65), Kemp (70), Shanshan Feng (65), Suzann Pettersen (67), Jiyai Shin (68) and Seon Hwa Lee (68).
Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa birdied three of the first five holes before racking up 13 consecutive pars in a 67 that left her at 202 with Natalie Gulbis.
Michelle Wie, bidding for her first win since getting her tour card late last year, shot a 70 and was at 204.
