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THE TOUR Championship, Round 4 (PGATOUR.com)

TOUGH TRACK (3:15 p.m.): With the leaders halfway through their front nines, it's seems obvious that East Lake will not yield many low scores in the final round. A quick check of the 30-man field shows that just seven players currently have rounds that are below par. In 1998, the first year that East Lake hosted THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, it yielded just eight final rounds below 70. Since then, it has not yielded fewer than 12 in a final round.—Mike McAllister

PGATOUR.COM Instant AccessTHE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola PGATOUR.COM's The Live Report has all the news and notes from THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, and we'll be providing updates from East Lake all day long for each round, so check back often. (All timestamps are Eastern Time.) PGA TOUR Shot Tracker | Live Scoring | PGA TOUR Network | Facebook | Twitter | FanZone LIVE@: Nos. 1 and 18 | FedExCup LIVE: Follow this week's projected points | PGA TOUR iPhone app

Kenny Perry leads by two enter… PGATOUR.com – Sep 27, 2:29 pm EDT Kenny Perry leads by two enter… PGATOUR.com – Sep 27, 2:29 pm EDT YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 1; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/turner/2c/fullj.f17165211f91ca7f75cb66450bd7beb5/live_report_tourchampi200909270.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=102&yc=1&wc=238&hc=264&q=70&sig=t..uxgHCfoc7sNr9XDAcmw--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 2 Golf Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();

MICKELSON'S IMPACT (3:10 p.m.): Phil Mickelson probably can't win the FedExCup, but he's looking like he's going to have a lot to say about who does.

If Perry wins THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, Mickelson could spoil Tiger Woods' chances to win the FedExCup for the second time by staying up there in sole possession of second. But if Mickelson can overtake Perry and win at East Lake, he'll end the Kentuckian's chances of winning the FedExCup.

Mickelson, who came to East Lake seeded 14th, would have to win THE TOUR Championship and have Woods finish ninth or worse to have a chance to take home the $10 milliion bonus. He is currently projected at seventh.—Helen Ross

BACK-NINE BREAKDOWN (3 p.m.): Which player among the leaders has been the most productive on the back nine at East Lake in the first three rounds? Here's a look at the back-nine scoring averages of the top eight players on the leaderboard:—Mike McAllister

Player Back-nine average this week Rank in field Ernie Els 33.67 T1 Tiger Woods 33.67 T1 Kenny Perry 34.33 T3 Steve Marino 34.67 T7 Sean O'Hair 35.00 T10 Steve Stricker 35.33 14 Phil Mickelson 35.67 T15 Padraig Harrington 36.00 T17

TIGHT AT THE TOP (2:45 p.m.): So much for Kenny Perry pulling away here at East Lake. He just made his second bogey in his last three holes and now leads Phil Mickelson by a single stroke. Tiger Woods, meanwhile, remains 1 over on his round as well and is a tie for third two strokes back.

With the wind blowing, the greens firm and several difficult pin positions, it's no wonder scoring is higher today than any other this week. No one is more than 2 under on their round and today and most of the field is over par. East Lake is playing more than 1.5 strokes over par so far and we could be on our way to the highest winning total since, well, last year, when Camilo Villegas won at 7 under after defeating Sergio Garcia in a playoff.—Brian Wacker

Scoring averages at East Lake this week Front 9 Back 9 Round 1 34.533 (-.477) 35.967 (+.967) Round 2 35.067 (+.067) 35.067 (+.067) Round 3 35.100 (+.100) 35.400 (+.400)

NO. 6 A TOUGH TEST (2:30 p.m.): What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, the 209-yard par-3 sixth hole played as the third-easiest on the golf course. Today, it's the most difficult—even if Ernie Els nearly just aced it with a 4-iron.

With the wind blowing into the players' faces, a smallish target and water everywhere you look, it's like playing the 17th at TPC Sawgrass with a 3 or 4-iron. Six balls have already found the water and there had been just one birdie there all day prior to Els'—compared to 11 pars, six bogeys and four double bogeys. The average proximity to the hole is 31 feet, 1 inch and the closest shot to the pin prior to Els' was by Zach Johnson at 13 feet, 5 inches.

Those are all staggering numbers for a hole that yielded just one bogey all of yesterday.—Brian Wacker

KENNY DO IT? (2:20 p.m.): Kenny Perry struggled with the hot weather in the first two rounds. On Saturday, with cloud cover and lower temperatures, Perry zoomed to the top of the leaderboard with a 6-under 64. Today's round is being played under mostly sunny skies with just a slight cloud cover. But fortunately for Perry, the temperatures shouldn't be as stifling.

"Thank goodness today we don't have as much humidity in the air," Perry said during a pre-round interview with the PGA TOUR Network.

Perry, the oldest player in the field at age 49, was dehydrated after Thursday's round and has been sweating profusely all three days. But he fought through it to take a two-shot lead through 54 holes.

"I've been sweating so much this week," Perry said. "I don't know if my age is showing a little bit or what."

To hear more of Perry's pre-round interview, .—Mike McAllister

PERRY PULLING AWAY (2:05 p.m.): Two very interesting stories are developing at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca Cola.

One, Kenny Perry is starting to distance himself from the field. He's only 1 under through two holes today, but has already stretched his lead to four strokes over Tiger Woods with Woods having bogeyed the first hole. Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, is also 1 under today, bringing him to 5 under for the week.

Two, Woods' grip on the FedExCup trophy could be slipping away. That's because if Perry wins and Woods finishes in a three-way tie for third (or worse), Perry would win the FedExCup. And that's certainly possible with Steve Marino and Sean O'Hair just a stroke back from Woods ( for all the scenarios).

There's certainly a lot of golf left, but all of a sudden a player that was on no one's radar in Perry—he has one finish in the the 40 since winning in Hartford—could win the FedExCup. Stay tuned.—Brian Wacker

TIGER TEES OFF (1:45 p.m.): Tiger Woods just teed off here at East Lake, getting off to an inauspicious start by pulling his 3-wood tee shot badly to the left ( to follow Woods live with Shot Tracker).

Now let's see how he recovers. Woods leads the PGA TOUR in final-round scoring average by a whopping stroke-and-a-half and has a stellar record here in this tournament, where he's failed to break 70 just three times in 11 previous final rounds.

The lowest final-round score for Woods in the TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola was a 66 when he won here two years ago. His highest score was a 74 in 2003 when he finished 26th—also his worst-ever finish in the event.—Brian Wacker

ROUTE 60-SOMETHING (1:30 p.m.): Tiger Woods is the only player in the field this week who has finished his first three rounds in the 60s. Last year, the only player with four rounds in the 60s at East Lake was Phil Mickelson, who finished tied for third.

Since the first TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola in 1987, eight winners have posted all four rounds in the 60s.—Mike McAllister

Year Winner Course Scores 1987 Tom Watson Oak Hills (San Antonio) 65-66-69-68 1990 Jodie Mudd Champions (Houston) 68-69-68-68* 1999 Tiger Woods Champions (Houston) 67-66-67-69 2000 Phil Mickelson East Lake (Atlanta) 67-69-65-66 2001 Mike Weir Champions (Houston) 68-66-68-68* 2005 Bart Bryant East Lake (Atlanta) 62-68-66-67 2006 Adam Scott East Lake (Atlanta) 69-67-67-66 2007 Tiger Woods East Lake (Atlanta) 64-63-64-66 *-won in a playoff

HEADING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS (1:20 p.m.): John Senden and Marc Leishman were two of the last players to make it to THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. Senden was the last man in at No. 30 in the standings, only after Brandt Snedeker triple-bogeyed the final hole at the BMW Championship to fall out of the top 30. Leishman, meanwhile, got here when his eagle on the last hole at the Deutsche Bank Championship got him to Chicago and ultimately to Atlanta.

Today, the two are headed in opposite directions. Senden, coming off a final-round 77 at the BMW Championship, birdied his first hole here in the final round and is now in a tie for seventh at 2 under for the week. Leishman, on the other hand, has failed to break 70 all week and is 5 over today through his first seven holes, dropping him to 9 over for the tournament and into second-to-last.—Brian Wacker

BOMB'S AWAY (1:10 p.m.): Brian Gay just drained a birdie putt of 57 feet, 10 inches at the par-4 eighth hole. That's the second longest putt of the week; Steve Stricker rolled in a 76-foot, 5-inch on the fifth hole during Saturday's third round.

It's no surprise that Gay can find the bottom of the cup from long distance. He ranks seventh on the PGA TOUR this season in average distance of putts made.

By the way, tournament leader Kenny Perry has made three of the 14 longest putts this week—each longer than 31 feet.—Mike McAllister

STAT OF THE DAY (1:05 p.m.): Tiger Woods has proven to be arguably the greatest front-runner in the history of the game. Today, though, he enters the final round trailing leader by Kenny Perry by two shots. Will that matter? Maybe not.

Going into the final round, no one has been as good as Woods in terms of coming from behind—he's improved his finishing position 92.86 percent of the time. Well, if he improves his position today, he'll win the tournament since he's alone in second.—Brian Wacker

PERRY ON POINT (12:50 p.m.): One of the main reasons Kenny Perry is in the position he is atop the leaderboard here in the final round of THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola is because he got back to driving the ball straight the last two rounds and, as a result, hit more greens in regulation.

Perry's always been one of the best drivers of the ball on TOUR—in terms of length and accuracy—and he'd gotten away from that Thursday, hitting just three fairways. But during the last two-plus rounds, hitting it straight has helped him put together a streak of 42 holes where he has either achieved a green in regulation or saved par when he missed the green. And during the third round, he only needed 20 putts per green in regulation. That was three strokes better than the second round (see below for more).

Now if Tiger Woods could do Perry a favor and put up the kind of numbers Perry did in the first round …—Brian Wacker

Kenny Perry through three rounds Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Fairways Hit 3/14 10/14 10/14 Greens in Regulation 9/18 13/18 13/18 Putts 29 28 25 Putts per GIR 1.778 1.769 1.538

FOOTBALL ON THE BRAIN (12:30 p.m.): The outcome wasn't what he wanted, but at least Phil Mickelson got to see his alma mater, Arizona State, play at Georgia on Saturday night. The Bulldogs handed the Sun Devils their first loss of the season, 20-17, thanks to a last-second field goal between the hedges in Athens.

That got us to wondering which other players came away with bragging rights on Saturday.

Zach Johnson, a Drake grad but avid Iowa fan, can boast of the biggest upset as the Hawkeyes beat No. 5 Penn State 21-10. There were two other mild shake-ups as Stewart Cink's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets knocked off No. 22 North Carolina, 24-7 and Tiger Woods' Stanford Cardinal upended No. 24 Washington by a 34-14 margin.

The other winners were Brian Gay (Florida, 41-7 over Kentucky), Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina, 28-7 over N.C. AT&T), Scott Verplank and Hunter Mahan (Oklahoma State, 56-6 over Grambling State), Mike Weir (BYU, 42-23 over Colorado State), Jason Dufner (Auburn, 54-30 over Ball State), Jim Furyk (Arizona, 37-32 over Oregon State) and David Toms (LSU, 30-26 over Mississippi State).

Those who went home empty were Luke Donald (Northwestern, lost to Minnesota 35-34), Lucas Glover (Clemson, lost to No. 15 TCU 14-10), Nick Watney (Fresno State, lost to No. 14 Cincinnati 28-20), Steve Stricker (Illinois, lost to No. 13 Ohio State 30-0) and Kenny Perry (Western Kentucky, lost to Navy, 38-22).

The loss was Western Kentucky's fourth straight. But one of the most famous Hilltopper alums, Kenny Perry could have something really big to celebrate Sunday at East Lake. He leads THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola by two strokes heading into the final round with the title—and the FedExCup—at stake.—Helen Ross

SCENARIOS IF THERE IS A TIE (12:20 p.m.): It's unlikely that a tie in FedExCup points will exist after regulation play ends Sunday afternoon. Nevertheless, the possibility remains for now—and if it happens, a sudden-death playoff will take place to determine the FedExCup winner.

Here are some of the scenarios that could produce a points tie:

• If Steve Stricker finishes in a two-way tie for second and Tiger Woods finishes solo third, each player would have 3,500 points. This might be the most likely possibility, since Woods and Stricker are among the top eight players on the leaderboard going into the final round. But No. 9 seed Kenny Perry or another player seeded 10th or higher (like Phil Mickelson, Steve Marino or Ernie Els) would need to win. If Sean O'Hair or Padraig Harrington wins, either of those players would claim the FedExCup with a higher points total.

• If Jim Furyk finishes solo second and Woods finishes third, each would have 3,500 points. Furyk, however, is tied for 15th to start the day and would need to go really low to move past so many players on the leaderboard. Again, Perry or a higher seed would need to win.

• If Furyk finishes in a two-way tie for second, Stricker finishes solo third and Woods finishes solo fourth, each player would have 3,250 points. But a player seeded 10th or higher would need to win; in other words, Perry would win the FedExCup should he win the tournament. But if Mickelson, Marino or Els wins the tournament, this scenario might be a possibility.

• If Perry wins and Zach Johnson finishes solo second, they would each have 3,300 points. But since Johnson starts the day at 5 over, 11 shots out of second place, he would need a monster round and a total collapse by everybody but Perry. That's not going to happen.

If you're watching the today, keep an eye on the total points. As long as the winner is projected to have more than 3,500 points, then a tie is not possible. Only at the 3,500-point level will a tie scenario first come into play.—Mike McAllister

PERRY, WOODS A RARE PAIRING (12:10 p.m.): Tournament leader Kenny Perry will be paired with Tiger Woods in the final twosome of the day at 1:45 p.m. ET. Perry said he enjoys being paired with Woods, even issuing a playful challenge to the world's No. 1 player.

"He'd better bring his 'A' game is all I've got to say," Perry said with a laugh.

Perry is hoping he can produce his 'A' game too. It hasn't happened very often in his surprisingly few pairings with Woods.

Sunday's twosome will be just the fifth time that Perry and Woods have been paired at a PGA TOUR event, and just the third time in the last seven years. Woods has been paired with Chris Perry and Craig Parry nearly as often.

On the previous four times he's played with Woods, Kenny Perry has failed to produce a score better than 73, and his stroke average is 75. Meanwhile, Woods' stroke average is 68.75, more than six shots better.

The last two times Perry and Woods have been paired together have come in the final round—and both times Woods went on to win the tournament.

Woods will start the final round two shots back and is glad to be paired with the tournament leader.

"You always enjoy being in the last group because then you can understand what the guy is doing," Woods said.—Mike McAllister

Here's a look at the four previous Woods-Perry pairings.

Year Tournament Round Woods' score Perry's score 2007 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 4 65 75 2005 WGC-NEC Invitational 4 71 74 2002 WGC-NEC Invitational 3 67 73 2002 PGA Championship 3 72 78

WEATHER UPDATE (12 p.m.): Let's give credit where it's due. The oft-maligned weathermen were right on Saturday.

Tee times for the third round of THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola were moved up to escape what was expected to be heavy downpours in the afternoon—and turns out, play was completed Saturday about an hour before the heavens opened up.

The rain at East Lake came in a series of strong bursts and a total of 2 inches fell in about 10 hours. However, the skies have cleared for Sunday's final 18 holes, which began as scheduled. The SubAir system at East Lake continued to work to perfection and players are playing the ball down for the last round.—Helen Ross

Groups We're Watching Tee time Players   1:45 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Tiger Woods, Kenny PerryPerry has driven the ball perfectly the last two rounds, and if his putter stays hot, he has a real shot at the FedExCup title. 1:35 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Phil Mickelson, Sean O'HairPhil is 7 under since his quad on Thursday. He's one of several players with a slim chance at taking the FedExCup title from Woods. 1:15 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Steve Stricker, Ernie ElsWe all know Stricker can win the FedExCup with a victory, but he can also win if he finishes solo second and Woods finishes third or worse. Live Essentials Follow every shot with our newest application The only place on the Internet for real-time live scoring Listen to expert commentary on the PGA TOUR Network News, notes, stats and analysis during each round

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The Daily Wrap-up, Round 3: THE TOUR Championship (PGATOUR.com)

ATLANTA (AP)—Winning the FedExCup remains a long shot for Kenny Perry. Winning THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola became a far greater possibility Saturday after his 6-under 64 gave him a two-shot lead over Tiger Woods.

Perry birdied his opening four holes Saturday to catch up to Woods quickly, then kept bogeys off his card the rest of the way at East Lake to give himself a shot at his third victory this year.

"Four birdies in a row puts you in a good mood is all I can say," said Perry, who was at 8-under 202. "That set the tone for the day."

Woods had a 12-foot birdie putt on the first hole that slid by the cup, and that set the tone for his day. He missed half a dozen chances from 15 feet or under, yet his only significant birdies came on putts of 20 and 55 feet. The other was a two-putt on a par 5. He wound up with a 69, his eighth consecutive round in the 60s during the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, yet this one cost him the lead.

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Round 3 content LEFTY LURKING: Improved putting from Phil Mickelson has him in contention for this third win of 2009, but the first since March. Click here LIVE REPORT: Catch up on all the action from Saturday's third round at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. Click here BIG FIVE: They are the players with the best shot at the FedExCup. How are the five leaders performing at East Lake? Click here

"I got fooled a few times there," Woods said, confused by the slope and grain on the greens.

Perry will be in the final pairing with Woods, and even though he has a two-shot lead, he is approaching Sunday as though he has nothing to lose and even playfully challenged the world's No. 1 player.

"Here I am at 49, I'm still trying to beat him," Perry said. "I have fun with it. He'd better bring his 'A' game is all I've got to say."

For Perry to win the FedExCup, he would need a victory Sunday and for Woods to finish in a three-way tie for third or worse. That remains a possibility, given the players stacked up behind them.

Phil Mickelson continued to ooze confidence with his putter and shot a 4-under 66, suddenly believing he can make any putt whether it's from 4 feet or 40 feet. He was at 4-under 206 along with Sean O'Hair (70), who was tied with Woods until pulling a tee shot into the water on the 17th to make double bogey.

Padraig Harrington, playing with Woods for the ninth time this year, stopped making birdies to offset his mistakes and shot a 71, leaving him at 207 with Steve Marino (67).

Steve Stricker, the No. 2 seed in the FedExCup standings behind Woods, got back into the picture, no matter how blurry, with a 66 and was six shots out of the lead.

"I needed to make a move today to have any sort of chance for tomorrow," Stricker said. "At least I gave myself an opportunity. I'm going to need another one of those rounds, or maybe even lower."

All of them would like the kind of day Perry enjoyed.

It already has been a roller coaster of a week—if not year—for Perry, who was honored with the Payne Stewart Award on Wednesday, then was so overcome by the stifling heat Thursday that he wasn't sure he could make it past the fifth hole.

His start was flawless Saturday morning, under cloudy skies and the threat of rain that forced officials to move up the tee times. After pounding a driver, he hit sand wedge to 4 feet. Then came perhaps his best shot of the round, a 5-iron with that familiar draw that settled just outside 6 feet of the cup. Perry made birdie on the next two holes from short range, and quickly found himself tied for the lead.

It was Woods' turn to catch up, but he never did.

He missed three birdie putts inside 12 feet on the front nine and cost himself two other chances from the bunker—a fairway bunker on No. 7 that led to bogey, and a greenside bunker on the par-5 ninth that led to par.

"It was amazing how I had about four or five putts today that the grain was going up the hill, and I didn't know which one to play. Do I play the grain or do I play the slope?" Woods said. "Just one of those days where I happened to be in some interesting little spots, even thought I had pretty makeable putts."

Perry didn't have that problem, and even one time when he was threatened with a bogey, he holed his par putt from about 10 feet.

Now, he is one more good round away from one the biggest wins of his career that couldn't come at a better time. His mother is dying of cancer—Perry nearly missed the British Open when she took a turn for the worse—and his father's health is fading. That's one reason Perry put his son, Justin, on the bag over the last month.

His daughter took a break from SMU to join him this week, and his older daughter and son-in-law are coming for the final round.

"I'll have the whole gang here," Perry said. "I hope mom and dad will be watching. Hopefully, I can lift her spirits."

All Woods is trying to do is lift the trophy, although he would like both trophies—THE TOUR Championship and the FedExCup—that have been stationed on the first tee all week.

There's a chance Perry can hoist one, and Woods the other.

"I'd much rather just win the tournament, and the FedExCup will take care of itself," Woods said. "As of right now, I'm two back and have an opportunity to win the tournament. And that's what I'm going to focus on tomorrow."

Saturday's best EASIEST HOLE TOUGHEST HOLE The par-5 15th hole was the easiest with a Saturday scoring average of 4.500.EAGLES: 0 BIRDIES: 15 PARS: 15BOGEYS: 0 OTHERS: 0 The par-4 fifth hole was the toughest with a Saturday scoring average of 4.400.EAGLES: 0 BIRDIES: 3 PARS: 14BOGEYS: 11 OTHERS: 2

INSIDE THE ROPES WITH THE PGA TOUR NETWORK PGA TOUR Network correspondent Fred Albers offers these observations from Saturday's action. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146/SIRIUS 209 or right here at PGATOUR.COM.

Phil Mickelson had the shot of the day, and it was one he delivered with his foot. Mickelson was playing the 13th hole of THE TOUR Championship, and a sign post near the green was in his way. Mickelson tried to remove the post, but it was firmly lodged in the ground, so Lefty gave it a kick. Not just any kick—a karate kick that splintered the post in half. Mickelson is trained in martial arts and said, "they just don't make posts like they used to." The remainder of the post was easily removed, and play continued.

Steve Marino no longer has the big head. That's because his hairstyle has changed. Marino always sported a shaggy mop-top of hair but decided to buzz it down to the scalp. The new style is cooler, but it creates a problem. Marino's hats no longer fit and hang down around his ears in a style reminiscent of "Gomer Pyle." Cleveland Golf is sending a new supply.

Earlier this year, Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods were put on the clock for slow play. On Saturday at East Lake, their pace once again came under scrutiny of PGA TOUR officials. A full hole behind, the twosome tried to improve its pace. At Firestone in August, Harrington tried to speed play and made an 8, costing him the tournament. On Saturday at East Lake, Harrington made two bogeys while under the watch of TOUR officials to finish with a disappointing 1-over round, which put him at 3 under for the championship.

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Golf-Perry charges past Woods to lead by two shots (Reuters)

* Perry builds on sizzling four-birdie start

* Woods surrenders lead after carding a 69

(Updates at end of round)

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

ATLANTA, Sept 26 (Reuters) – Kenny Perry, boosted by asizzling four-birdie start, overhauled fellow American TigerWoods to grab a two-shot lead in the Tour Championship thirdround on Saturday.

The 49-year-old, peppering the flags with brilliant approachplay at East Lake Golf Club, fired a sparkling six-under-par 64to take control of the PGA Tour’s fourth and final playoffevent.

Three strokes behind the pacesetting Woods overnight, Perryrecorded seven birdies and a lone bogey at the par-three sixthto post an eight-under total of 202.

World number one Woods, seeking his seventh PGA Tour victoryof the year, carded a topsy-turvy 69 to lie second in the elite30-man field.

American left-hander Phil Mickelson, who says his putting isbetter than it has been in two years, returned a 66 to sharethird place at four under with compatriot Sean O’Hair (70).

“I wasn’t expecting that kind of start, especially on thisgolf course,” Perry told reporters after putting himself inprime position to win his 15th PGA Tour title.

“But I’m driving it great. I was splitting the fairwaysearly in the round and I was having short shots (in) and able totake advantages of the wedges into the green.

“I was able to set the tempo early and it just relaxed me,”said Perry, who has triumphed twice this year on the PGA Tour.“It was a very comfortable round of golf.”

Woods held a one-stroke lead at the start of an overcast dayat East Lake was but was overtaken by the fast-starting Perrymidway through the third round.

Out in a scorching four-under 31 to edge one ahead, Perrypicked up further shots at the 12th, where he rolled in a30-footer, and 15th to tighten his grip.

Although Woods slipped three strokes behind with a bogey atthe 10th, he drained a 48-foot birdie putt at the 11th and alsobirdied the par-five 15th to trim Perry’s lead to two.

Tee times were pushed forward by more than three hours forSaturday’s third round with heavy rainfall forecast for theafternoon. (Editing by Clare Fallon/Kevin Fylan; To query or comment onthis story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Perry races past Woods in Tour Championship

ATLANTA (AP)—Winning the $10 million for the FedEx Cup remains a long shot forKenny Perry. Winning the Tour Championship became a far greater possibilityafter his 6-under 64 to take a two-shot lead over Tiger Woods.

Perry birdied his opening four holes Saturday to quickly catch up to Woods,then kept bogeys off his card the rest of the way at East Lake to give himself ashot at his third victory this year.

Kenny Perry watches his approa… AP – Sep 26, 2:10 pm EDT Kenny Perry watches his approa… AP – Sep 26, 2:10 pm EDT Kenny Perry hits his second sh… AP – Sep 26, 2:09 pm EDT Kenny Perry hits from the sand… AP – Sep 26, 2:09 pm EDT Kenny Perry reacts on the 17th… AP – Sep 26, 2:07 pm EDT Kenny Perry tips his cap on th… AP – Sep 26, 2:05 pm EDT Tiger Woods, front left, leads… AP – Sep 26, 12:39 pm EDT Sean O'Hair chips to the f… AP – Sep 26, 12:39 pm EDT Tiger Woods watches his tee sh… AP – Sep 26, 12:33 pm EDT Ernie Els, of South Africa, wa… AP – Sep 26, 12:31 pm EDT The group of Stewart Cink and … AP – Sep 26, 12:30 pm EDT Kenny Perry waves after making… AP – Sep 26, 12:30 pm EDT Tiger Woods watches his drive … AP – Sep 26, 12:30 pm EDT David Toms watches his tee sho… AP – Sep 26, 12:29 pm EDT Kenny Perry hits to the first … AP – Sep 26, 12:29 pm EDT Jerry Kelly watches his tee sh… AP – Sep 26, 12:29 pm EDT Angel Cabrera, of Argentina, w… AP – Sep 26, 12:29 pm EDT Tiger Woods watches his drive … AP – Sep 26, 12:29 pm EDT Sean O'Hair watches his te… AP – Sep 26, 12:28 pm EDT Lucas Glover hits from bushes … AP – Sep 26, 12:09 pm EDT Lucas Glover walks through ros… AP – Sep 26, 12:08 pm EDT Phil Mickelson hits from the s… AP – Sep 26, 12:04 pm EDT Tiger Woods reacts after makin… AP – Sep 26, 12:03 pm EDT Padraig Harrington of Ireland … AP – Sep 26, 12:02 pm EDT Ernie Els of South Africa hits… AP – Sep 26, 12:02 pm EDT Tiger Woods hits to the third … AP – Sep 26, 12:01 pm EDT Padraig Harrington of Ireland … AP – Sep 26, 12:00 pm EDT Jim Furyk eyes his tee shot on… AP – Sep 26, 11:59 am EDT Kenny Perry watches his tee sh… AP – Sep 26, 11:57 am EDT Phil Mickelson watches his tee… AP – Sep 26, 11:57 am EDT Padraig Harrington of Ireland … AP – Sep 26, 11:56 am EDT Padraig Harrington of Ireland … AP – Sep 26, 11:56 am EDT Tiger Woods reacts to making a… AP – Sep 26, 11:55 am EDT Tiger Woods hits his drive fro… AP – Sep 26, 11:53 am EDT Tiger Woods watches his tee sh… AP – Sep 26, 11:53 am EDT Tiger Woods hits his drive fro… AP – Sep 26, 11:52 am EDT Retief Goosen of South Africa,… AP – Sep 25, 6:38 pm EDT Tiger Woods chips to the 18th … AP – Sep 25, 6:35 pm EDT Tiger Woods hits his approach … AP – Sep 25, 6:33 pm EDT Tiger Woods hits from the fair… AP – Sep 25, 6:29 pm EDT Tiger Woods watches his shot f… AP – Sep 25, 6:28 pm EDT Tiger Woods reacts after savin… AP – Sep 25, 6:27 pm EDT Padraig Harrington of Ireland,… AP – Sep 25, 6:27 pm EDT Tiger Woods prepares to hit hi… AP – Sep 25, 6:26 pm EDT Tiger Woods hits drive on the … AP – Sep 25, 6:25 pm EDT Tiger Woods hits his approach … AP – Sep 25, 6:21 pm EDT Tiger Woods hits his approach … AP – Sep 25, 6:21 pm EDT Tiger Woods smiles as he leave… AP – Sep 25, 6:20 pm EDT Padraig Harrington waves to th… AP – Sep 25, 6:20 pm EDT Padraig Harrington of Ireland,… AP – Sep 25, 6:18 pm EDT Padraig Harrington of Ireland,… AP – Sep 25, 6:18 pm EDT Stewart Cink hits from the san… AP – Sep 25, 6:18 pm EDT Sean O'Hair reacts after m… AP – Sep 25, 6:17 pm EDT Tiger Woods lines up his putt … AP – Sep 25, 4:15 pm EDT Padraig Harrington of Ireland,… AP – Sep 25, 4:15 pm EDT Tiger Woods hits his approach … AP – Sep 25, 4:10 pm EDT Retief Goosen of South Africa,… AP – Sep 25, 4:05 pm EDT Retief Goosen of South Africa,… AP – Sep 25, 4:04 pm EDT Retief Goosen, of South Africa… AP – Sep 25, 4:04 pm EDT John Senden of Australia, watc… AP – Sep 25, 4:01 pm EDT Marc Leishman of Australia, wa… AP – Sep 25, 3:59 pm EDT Zach Johnson hits to the third… AP – Sep 25, 3:59 pm EDT Scott Verplank hits from the s… AP – Sep 25, 3:54 pm EDT Jason Dufner watches his tee s… AP – Sep 25, 3:54 pm EDT Padraig Harrington, front, of … AP – Sep 25, 3:53 pm EDT Padraig Harrington, of Ireland… AP – Sep 25, 3:53 pm EDT Padraig Harrington of Ireland,… AP – Sep 25, 3:53 pm EDT Padriag Harrington, of Ireland… AP – Sep 25, 3:47 pm EDT Ernie Els, of South Africa, wa… AP – Sep 25, 3:46 pm EDT Heath Slocum watches his tee s… AP – Sep 25, 3:44 pm EDT Mike Weir of Canada, watches h… AP – Sep 25, 3:44 pm EDT Stewart Cink hits to the fifth… AP – Sep 25, 3:40 pm EDT Nick Watney chips from the san… AP – Sep 25, 3:37 pm EDT Phil Mickelson chips to the se… AP – Sep 25, 3:37 pm EDT Jason Dufner chips from the sa… AP – Sep 25, 3:37 pm EDT Phil Mickelson watches his tee… AP – Sep 25, 3:36 pm EDT Tiger Woods watches his approa… AP – Sep 25, 3:33 pm EDT Sean O'Hair watches his ap… AP – Sep 25, 3:33 pm EDT Padriag Harrington of Ireland,… AP – Sep 25, 3:32 pm EDT Padriag Harrington, front, of … AP – Sep 25, 3:32 pm EDT Tiger Woods watches his approa… AP – Sep 25, 3:31 pm EDT Tiger Woods watches his tee sh… AP – Sep 25, 3:21 pm EDT Tiger Woods reacts to missing … AP – Sep 25, 3:20 pm EDT Luke Donald hits from the tee … AP – Sep 25, 3:17 pm EDT Tiger Woods watches his tee sh… AP – Sep 25, 3:17 pm EDT Padraig Harrington of Ireland,… AP – Sep 25, 3:16 pm EDT Stewart Cink hits from the tee… AP – Sep 25, 3:14 pm EDT Stewart Cink hits from the san… AP – Sep 25, 3:05 pm EDT Tiger Woods tees off on the se… AP – Sep 25, 3:05 pm EDT Sean O'Hair tees off on th… AP – Sep 25, 3:05 pm EDT Padraig Harrington tees of on … AP – Sep 25, 3:04 pm EDT Tiger Woods watches his tee sh… AP – Sep 24, 6:51 pm EDT Tiger Woods, left, and Steve S… AP – Sep 24, 6:44 pm EDT Steve Stricker reacts to his c… AP – Sep 24, 6:40 pm EDT Tiger Woods towels off on the … AP – Sep 24, 6:38 pm EDT Padraig Harrington, of Ireland… AP – Sep 24, 6:37 pm EDT Steve Stricker reacts to his c… AP – Sep 24, 6:36 pm EDT Sean O'Hair, waves to the … AP – Sep 24, 6:34 pm EDT Tiger Woods smiles as he leave… AP – Sep 24, 6:31 pm EDT YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 98; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = 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(adds quotes)

By Norman Dabell

VERSAILLES, France, Sept 26 (Reuters) – Britain and Irelandare on the brink of their fifth successive Seve Trophy victoryafter storming into a 12 1/2 – 5 1/2 lead over ContinentalEurope on Saturday.

A 3-1 greensomes success in the morning was followed by a 31/2 – 1/2 triumph in the afternoon foursomes. Captain PaulMcGinley’s team now need only two points in Sunday’s singlesmatches to secure the win in the biennial team event.

“They (the continentals) are a wounded animal and could bedangerous tomorrow,” McGinley told reporters.

“They are capable of shooting low numbers and a couple ofearly wins can cause a ripple effect and put pressure on theguys lower down.”

McGinley said Anthony Wall (shoulder injury) had a “50-50”chance of playing on Sunday. If the Englishman is unfit one ofthe continentals will also drop out and one point will beshared.

Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell put the first afternoonpoint on the board by squeezing out the two Danish Sorens,Hansen and Kjeldsen, 2 & 1.

The result looked a formality when the Ulstermen went fourup after 12. However, a battling comeback by the Danes leftMcIlroy and McDowell needing to show some grit to earn theirthird point of the week.

SPECTACULAR APPROACH

A birdie on 15 and an eagle on 16 was followed by aspectacular approach to less than a foot on 17 by Hansen.

McIlroy, though, showed the class that has taken him tothird on the European money-list by hitting to five feet beforeMcDowell holed out.

Englishman Chris Wood secured his fourth point of the week,the only player to do so, when he and compatriot Ross Fisherbeat Denmark’s Anders Hansen and Italian Francesco Molinari 3 &2.

Swedes Henrik Stenson and Peter Hanson fought back from fourdown with six to play to halve their match with England’s NickDougherty and Steve Webster.

World number five Stenson holed from 30-foot on the 17th and25-foot on the last for birdies.

A tense finale between English duo Robert Rock and OliverWilson and Spaniards Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros wasonly decided with par-threes on the 18th as the Britain andIreland pair held on to their one-hole advantage.

Skipper Thomas Bjorn said his Continental Europe players hadbeen affected by a ruling in the morning greensomes.

Fisher and Wood received a free drop on the 18th in theirone-hole win over Anders Hansen and Molinari which even McGinleycalled an “outrageous” piece of good fortune.

“When a ball is in a bush and they get a drop 15 feet fromthe hole it hurts,” said Bjorn. “Anders and Francesco were stilldown about it when they went out in the afternoon.

“It’s a massive task to turn this deficit around. I’ve toldmy team they are playing for their pride tomorrow.”

(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Golf-Improved putting gives Mickelson reason to smile (Reuters)

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

ATLANTA, Sept 26 (Reuters) – Phil Mickelson had a smile onhis face after firing a four-under-par 66 at the TourChampionship on Saturday, saying his putting was better than ithad been in two years.

Although the American left-hander has won twice on the 2009PGA Tour, he believes his results have suffered because ofinconsistent form on the greens.

“This feels great,” Mickelson told reporters after surginginto a tie for third at four-under 206 in the third round atEast Lake Golf Club.

“I haven’t been in contention since the (U.S.) Open,” headded, referring to his runner-up finish at Bethpage Black inJune. “It’s been a few months, mainly because of my putting.

“I look back on Thursday where I threw six shots away fromthree holes, otherwise I’d be leading.”

In the opening round, Mickelson carded a 73 which featuredan ugly quadruple-bogey eight at the 14th.

TRICKY GREENS

“To come back the way I have and play the way I have, I feellike I’m playing some really good golf,” the world number threesaid after needing only 27 putts on tricky greens on Saturday.

“No matter how many shots back I am I think I’ll still be afactor (tomorrow).”

Mickelson, a triple major winner known for his magical shortgame, paid tribute to former U.S. PGA champion Dave Stockton forhelping his putting in San Diego last week.

“I spent a couple of days with him and he basicallyreaffirmed the way I’ve always liked to putt,” said theAmerican, who is now using a slightly wider stance with thehands pressed forward ahead of the ball.

“I’ve gone right back to the way I putted as a kid and itjust feels terrific.

“I’ve been waiting for two years to get this kind ofdirection. Although I’ve won some tournaments and I’ve had somegood putting weeks, I haven’t putted well throughout the year.But I have direction now and I know what I’m trying to do.”

Mickelson will go into Sunday’s final round four shotsbehind pacesetting American Kenny Perry.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez. To query or comment on this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Golf-McIlroy can set Ryder ball rolling next year – Montgomerie (Reuters)

By Norman Dabell

VERSAILLES, France, Sept 26 (Reuters) – Europe’s 2010 RyderCup captain Colin Montgomerie would be prepared to throw RoryMcIlroy in at the deep end next year by sending out the youngBriton in his first group against the United States.

With Europe’s Cup campaign only just under way, McIlroystill has to qualify for Montgomerie’s team over the next 11months but the European captain has already written the20-year-old into his team.

“He’s the brightest young star in European golf, a breath offresh air,” Montgomerie told reporters during the Seve Trophy onSaturday.

“Why not (put him out first next year)? Why not, if he’scomfortable? I understand that it is very rare you actually evenplay a rookie on Friday morning, never mind out first. But wehave a very special case here.

“I will be talking to him and his partner, whoever thatpartner might be, to give them every opportunity to play wherehe (McIlroy) does want to play. A year is a long time but heseems to enjoy going out in that position.”

McIlroy, who lies third on Europe’s money-list (Race toDubai), has played in only one qualifying event of the three andholds 18th place on the Ryder Cup points table.

The Northern Irishman has partnered compatriot GraemeMcDowell to two wins out of three so far in the Seve Trophywhich is taking place in Versailles, France.

Montgomerie has been keeping a watching brief on severalpotential players for his team in Wales, as well as marking theperformance of both team captains, Paul McGinley for Britain andIreland and Continental Europe’s Thomas Bjorn. (Editing by Sonia Oxley; To comment on this story:sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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THE TOUR Championship, Round 3 (PGATOUR.com)

TIGER SHOOTS 69 (2:10 p.m.): Tiger Woods began the day with a one-shot lead and ends it trailing by two after shooting a 69 that included 30 putts.

PGATOUR.COM Instant Access Coca-ColaTHE TOUR Championship presented by PGATOUR.COM's The Live Report has all the news and notes from THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, and we'll be providing updates from East Lake all day long for each round, so check back often. (All timestamps are Eastern Time.) PGA TOUR Shot Tracker | Live Scoring | PGA TOUR Network | Facebook | Twitter | FanZone LIVE@: Nos. 1 and 18 | FedExCup LIVE: Follow this week's projected points | PGA TOUR iPhone app

The player Woods trails? Kenny Perry, who shot the lowest round of the week so far with a 64 that brought him to 8 under for the week.

Tiger Woods is seeking his thi… PGATOUR.com – Sep 26, 2:35 pm EDT Tiger Woods is seeking his thi… PGATOUR.com – Sep 26, 2:35 pm EDT YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 1; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/turner/64/fullj.0710536951fe6eea9dc94e1b79cc774d/live_report_tourchampi200909260.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=102&yc=1&wc=238&hc=264&q=70&sig=tM0yY1Yv4IjuACa47bfbHQ--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 2 Golf Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();

Perry wasn't the only player to make a big move, though. Phil Mickelson shot a 66 and now finds himself tied for third with Sean O'Hair, both players four back of Perry's lead.

What does all this mean? Well, unless something strange happens, Woods could be well on his way to winning the FedExCup.

If Perry goes on to win the tournament, Woods would have to finish fourth or worse for Perry to win the FedExCup. And of the other players in immediate contention, only Steve Stricker came into the week in the top 5 in FedExCup points—meaning if he wins the tournament, he wins the FedExCup. Stricker, though, is four back of Woods and six back of the lead. Those are long odds ( for all the scenarios).

Now, Woods certainly could finish fourth or worse—Phil Mickelson and Sean O'Hair are only two back of him going into the final round. But it's hard not to like the chances of a guy who leads the PGA TOUR in final-round scoring average, by more than a stroke at 68.29 no less.

As for Stricker, he still has an outside shot at winning the FedExcCup, even if he doesn't win the tournament. For example, if Perry wins the tournament and Stricker finishes second and Woods fourth, then Stricker would win the FedExCup with Perry coming in second and Woods third.

Stay tuned, though. With all the scenarios, Sunday could shape up to be a shootout if Woods falters.—Brian Wacker

PERRY IN WITH 64 (2 p.m.): Kenny Perry's 64 is the lowest score he has ever shot in THE TOUR Championship. In 38 previous rounds in this tournament, Perry's low was a 65 in 2005 here at East Lake.

The 64 also ties for Perry's second-lowest score in a third round in his career.

Perry shot 61 in the third round at Colonial in 2003 on his way to victory. Saturday's 64 is the 10th time he has shot 64 in the third round in his career.—Mike McAllister

Below is a look at Perry's scorecard.

PADDY'S PAR-5 STRUGGLES (1:50 p.m.): If Padraig Harrington doesn't win THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, he'll likely regret his inability to score on East Lake's two par-5 holes. Through three rounds, Harrington has the lowest scoring average in the 30-man field on the par 5s at 1 over. Harrington and Hunter Mahan are the only two players who have yet to birdie either the 600-yard ninth or the 525-yard 15th this week. Mahan is even on the par-5s this week.—Mike McAllister

STRICKER STILL HAS A SHOT (1:29 p.m.): No. 2 seed Steve Stricker, one of the Big 5 who controls his own destiny, has at least given himself a fighting chance in the final round after climbing back into the tournament with a 4-under 66 Saturday.

Stricker is at 2 under for the tournament, still well off the pace being set by Kenny Perry. But another 66 from Stricker, who is guaranteed the FedExCup if he wins THE TOUR Championship, might at least give him a shot.

"I'm going to need a low one tomorrow, another 4 or 5 under tomorrow, to have even a sniff of a chance," Stricker said after his round.

Stricker wasn't happy after shooting a second-round 72, but he finally started hitting some greens—13 on Saturday after hitting just seven greens in regulation on Friday.

"Yesterday I just didn't do very many good things and kind of just plodded myself along," said Stricker, winner of the Deutsche Bank Championship earlier this month. "Today, I played like I had been."

Stricker's 66 is the lowest round he has ever shot at East Lake. Until Saturday, he had not broken par in his previous six rounds at the course.

"Maybe I'm figuring this course out a little bit," Stricker said. "It's a course where I typically don't put up a low number, so this 66 feels pretty good."—Mike McAllister

PERFECT PAIRING (12:59 p.m.): Judging by the way they played on Saturday at East Lake, Geoff Ogilvy and Y.E. Yang might make a good Four-ball pairing for International Captain Greg Norman at The Presidents Cup.

The two went off in the first group of the day and took advantage of soft conditions at East Lake for a best-ball score of 8 under. Individually, Ogilvy shot a bogey-free 64, the best of the tournament to date, while Yang had a 66 that included birdies on his last four holes.

For Ogilvy, who has been relatively quiet since winning two of his first five starts, the turnaround was a welcome one. He hasn't made a bogey in his last 28 holes after playing his first 26 in 9 over.

"Golf's weird," Ogilvy said. "I haven't really played very well the last three months, except for Boston. It was pretty horrible the first two days but I woke up today and it was better for some reason."

The Aussie was at a loss to explain the difference. Ogilvy says he didn't have an "epiphany" on Friday night that uncovered a mechanical flaw or anything. It was basically a just a different feeling with his swing.

"It wasn't that horrible the first two days. but you just miss a few putts, you don't get up and down and then you get a bit grumpy and it's the end of the year and you want to go home," Ogilvy said with a wry smile.

Ogilvy set the tone for the day early, though, when he hit is approach at the first hole to 5 feet. He made four birdies in a row starting at No. 9—rolling in birdie putts of 3, 16, 2 and 7 feet—and added a final birdie at the 15th.

"You hit two good shots down the first and all of a sudden you make a birdie and feel better about it," Ogilvy said with a shrug. "And those 6-foot par putts went in today that didn't go in the first couple of days, and you make a couple of big birdie putts and before you know it you're through 10 or 11, it's not that much better but it's a lot better. It's a funny game."

Ogilvy is looking forward to playing for one of his idols at The President Cup Oct. 5-11 at Harding Park in San Francisco. THE TOUR Championship is his 20th event on the PGA TOUR, but the Aussie plans a busy offseason.

Ogilvy expects to play three events in the European Tour's Race to Dubai, as well as the Australian Masters—with Tiger Woods in the field—and several other events Down Under. His wife is due to deliver their third child in February of next year, too.

THE HOLE STORY (12:50 p.m.): The 391-yard 12th has been the easiest par-4 hole at East Lake this week. In fact, it's playing easier on Saturday than the par-5 ninth.

No other hole has yielded more birdies today than the 12th, which has given up 13 thus far with a few groups still to play the hole.

Kenny Perry just birdied the 12th a little while ago by rolling in a putt of 31 1/2 feet. Perry is now at 7 under and leads by two shots.—Mike McAllister

FINISHING STRONG (12:40 p.m.): Just when it looked like an exhaustive Playoffs run might have caught up with Steve Stricker, he got the break he needed in the form of a bye week last week. After two ho-hum rounds each of the last two days, though, Stricker was back in the form that earned him the nickname "Mr. September," shooting a 4-under 66 that's moved him up to a tie for seventh at the moment.

"I've been looking forward to this finish line for the last month," Stricker said earlier this week. Well, after hitting 13 of 18 greens in regulation and taking 27 putts today, it appears Stricker is set on finishing strong.

"I won't be playing in those Fall Series events unfortunately. But it's a time I need to spend at home, so I look at this as the end," Stricker added. "I still have The Presidents Cup, so a couple of nice events to finish off the year and then get some rest." Just not yet, apparently.—Brian Wacker

TIGER AT THE TURN (12:20 p.m.): As good as Tiger Woods was closing out the back nine yesterday with three straight birdies, he was that mediocre today, making a bogey and two pars on Nos. 7, 8 and 9. The bogey for Woods came when he couldn't reach the green from the right fairway bunker on the 443-yard hole and when he failed to get up-and-down from 55 yards.

Things didn't get much better on his first hole on the back, either, when Woods bogeyed No. 10 after finding deep rough off the tee right of the fairway. As a result, Woods is 1 over on his day and now three strokes off the lead.

Woods has only failed to close the deal seven times out of 40 when leading after 36 holes, but with the way Kenny Perry is playing, he's got some work to do.—Brian Wacker

PERRY GOES LOW (11:53 a.m.): Kenny Perry just made the turn at 4-under 31, which ties for the lowest front-nine score of the week. He heads to the 10th tee as the solo leader at 6 under for the tournament, one shot ahead of Tiger Woods, who just bogeyed the seventh.

Perry needed just one putt on eight of the first nine holes; his lone bogey on the card came when he three-putted the par-3 sixth ( to follow Perry live with Shot Tracker).

Perry's rise to the top of the leaderboard might ultimately be good news for Padraig Harrington and Sean O'Hair, since they need help in order to win the FedExCup.

For instance, if Harrington can win THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, he still loses the FedExCup if Tiger Woods finishes solo second. But Harrington would win the FedExCup should Woods finish in a tie for second. O'Hair would win the FedExCup if Woods finishes in a three-way tie for second.—Mike McAllister

HARRINGTON STUMBLES (11:35 a.m.): It wasn't a double bogey for Padraig Harrington, but back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5 have dropped Harrington back to even par and 4 under for the week, two shots off the lead shared by Kenny Perry and Tiger Woods.

Harrington has made double bogey—or worse—each of the last 13 tournaments, stretching back to the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard. What's even more amazing about that is that despite a blow-up hole every week, Harrington has managed five top-10s during that period and three of those were top-5s. In other words, what could have been.

There's still plenty of golf to play for Harrington, but that's certainly a streak he hopes comes to an end this week. If it does, he just might win.—Brian Wacker

FAST AND FURIOUS (11:20 a.m.): Read fast or you might miss it—and that is a good thing. Geoff Ogilvy and Y.E. Yang weren't part of the conversation after shooting 8 over and 6 over, respectively, in the first two rounds. And they may not be a part of the conversation after today, but they should be if for one reason only. The biggest problem facing the game of golf from top to bottom is pace of play. The No. 1 reason people say that they leave golf is because they say it takes too long. No one likes to play slow, not even slow players. Ogilvy and Yang proved that you can play well and play quickly at the same time—3 hours, 22 minutes after they teed off Yang birdied 18 to shoot 66 and Ogilvy made par to shoot the low round of the week, a 64 (Click here to replay Ogilvy's round; click here for Yang's).

They will likely play together again on Sunday as they both are 2 over for the tournament. Wouldn't it be nice if they could manage to play in 3 1/2 hours in the middle of the pack on Sunday?—John Maginnes

TIGER ON TOP (11 a.m.): Not only has the birdie streak ended for Kenny Perry at four, he just made his first bogey of the day, dropping him back to 5 under and now one shot back of leader Tiger Woods.

Speaking of Woods, he's 33-for-40 when leading after 36 holes (see below for more)—and that mark only gets better after 54 holes.—Brian Wacker

Tiger Woods when leading after 36 holes Tournament Place Round 2 Finish 1996 Quad City Classic 1 over Fiori -7 T5 1997 Masters Tournament 3 over Montgomerie -8 W 1997 GTE Byron Nelson Classic tie Lee Rinker -12 W 1998 Bay Hill Invitational tie Love III -10 T13 1998 NEC World Series of Golf tie Duval, Parry -5 T5 1999 GTE Byron Nelson Classic tie S. Pate -12 T7 1999 Memorial Tournament 1 over Janzen, Singh -10 W 1999 Motorola Western Open tie Appleby -10 W 1999 National Car Rental Golf Classic tie Carter, Tway -12 W 1999 THE TOUR Championship tie Love III -9 W 2000 Mercedes Championships 4 over Els -9 W 2000 Bay Hill Invitational 1 over Weir -11 W 2000 Memorial Tournament 1 over Frazar -10 W 2000 U.S. Open 6 over Bjorn, Jimenez -8 W 2000 Open Championship 3 over Toms -11 W 2000 PGA Championship 1 over Dunlap -11 W 2000 WGC-NEC Invitational 7 over Mickelson -15 W 2002 Bay Hill Invitational 4 over McCarron -12 W 2002 U.S. Open 3 over Harrington -5 W 2002 Buick Open 4 over Verplank, Henry -14 W 2002 WGC-AmEx Championship 2 over Kelly -14 W 2003 Bay Hill Invitational 3 over Cink -9 W 2003 100th Western Open 1 over Toms -11 W 2003 WGC-AmEx Championship 5 over Choi, Garcia, Herron, Mediate -7 W 2004 Wachovia Championship 2 over Triplett, Begay, Oberholser -9 T3 2004 EDS Byron Nelson Championship 1 over OMeara -8 T4 2005 Open Championship 4 over Montgomerie -11 W 2005 WGC-NEC Invitational tie Donald -4 W 2006 Ford Championship at Doral tie Mickelson, C. Villegas, S. Verplank -13 W 2006 Open Championship 1 over Els -12 W 2006 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 1 over Love -8 W 2006 WGC-American Express 5 over Furyk -15 W 2007 WGC-CA Championship 2 over Pampling -7 W 2007 Wachovia Championship tie Singh, Oberholser -6 W 2007 PGA Championship 2 over Verplank -6 W 2007 THE TOUR Championship 3 over Austin -13 W 2008 Buick Invitational 4 over Streelman -12 W 2009 AT&T National 1 over Pampling -10 W 2009 PGA Championship 4 over Singh, Harrington, Glover, Fisher, B. Jones -7 2nd 2009 BMW Championship tie Wilson -7 W

OGILVY ON THE REBOUND (10:44 a.m.): Geoff Ogilvy seems to have finally found his game at East Lake. After shooting the highest first-round score (75) and nearly duplicating that in the second round (73), Ogilvy—playing in the first twosome out today with Y.E. Yang—is now a bogey-free 5 under through 14 holes. Ogilvy, who won two of his first five starts this year, carded four consecutive birdies starting at the ninth hole. His best birdie streak this season is five straight in the final round of the Masters. Ogilvy is still far back in the pack at 3 over for the tournament.—Mike McAllister

PERRY POWER (10:31 a.m.): Last year, Kenny Perry was near the bottom of the leaderboard at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, finishing in a tie for 24th. Two years ago, he didn't even qualify to play in the tournament.

So much for recent history. Perry has birdied his first three holes this morning to pull into a tie for the lead at 5 under with Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington. That makes seven birdies in Perry's last 15 holes, stretching back to yesterday's round.

It's also a nice turnaround from the first round in which Perry felt sick and played like it, struggling to a 2-over 72. Perry said he had actually felt physically sick during the first round, even to the point of thinking he might throw up over the first few holes. He drank copious amounts of water and sports drinks Thursday night, though, and while the 49-year-old was drenched in sweat when he finished off a 66 on Friday, he felt much better.

On Friday, Perry had talked about being aggressive with his irons—and he certainly has been so far in the third round. He's had birdie putts of 4, 7 and 3 feet on his first three holes.

Perry, a two-time winner in 2009, came into THE TOUR Championship seeded ninth. He needs to win at East Lake to have a chance at winning the FedExCup—and have Woods finish fourth or worse. In addition, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk must finish third or worse.

to follow Perry's round live with Shot Tracker.—Brian Wacker and Helen Ross

TIGER TEES OFF (10:25 a.m.): Not sure if this is an omen or not, but as Tiger Woods hit his opening tee shot at 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, the sun broke through a hole in the clouds. Keep your fingers crossed ( to follow Woods live with Shot Tracker).—Helen Ross

ON THE REBOUND (10:20 a.m.): Steve Stricker, who won the Deutsche Bank Championship two weeks ago, is making a nice little comeback after failing to break par in the first two rounds at East Lake. He's 2 under through seven holes today thanks to a 19-footer for birdie at the second hole and a 77-foot bomb at the par-4 fourth. Stricker, who is seeded second in the FedExCup race, is now even par for the tournament.

Stricker has played in all 12 of the events in the three years of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. If he shoots in the 60s on Saturday, it will be his 30th sub-par round in the Playoffs—more than anyone else on TOUR.—Helen Ross

Sip of Maginnes OCHO-CINK-O (10:10 a.m.): Stewart Cink said on Late Night with David Letterman that his rap name would be 50 Cink. The mediocre joke has become a little more than that. A group of Cink fans, who have probably never heard of the actual rapper 50 Cent are donned in green tee shirts in support of their 50 Cink.

Cink later Twittered about it, saying "Sounds like 50 Cink is out and Ocho-Cink-O is in. I think I prefer 50 over Ocho. For the record."

Cink starts this Saturday just four shots behind Tiger Woods. The reigning British Open Champion was tied for the lead through 27 holes, but a quadruple-bogey 8 on the 10th hole looked to derail his bid to win THE TOUR Championship.

But Cink is a grinder and will certainly bounce back. Curtis James Jackson, aka the real 50 Cent, says that he adopted the nickname as a metaphor for change. It will take a change to knock Tiger off the top of the leaderboard. Perhaps Cink is just the man to do it—let's just hope he doesn't try to rap, or even dance for that matter.—John Maginnes

FAST START FOR PHIL (9:50 a.m.): Phil Mickelson has just birdied the first hole for the second straight day. The 12-footer he made on the 424-yard par 4 put the big lefthander in red numbers at 1 under—just four shots off the lead held by Tiger Woods, who tees off an hour after Mickelson.

Mickelson, who is enthused about a putting tip he got from Champions Tour veteran Dave Stockton last week, is coming off a 67 that included six birdies. If he can take advantage of Saturday's soft conditions at East Lake, Mickelson could be a factor in the final round.—Helen Ross

BIRDIE, BIRDIE START FOR ZACH (9:45 a.m.): Nice start for Zach Johnson, who birdied his first two holes and is now back to even par for the tournament.

Johnson, of course, is one of the Big Five players who controls his own destiny this week. If he wins THE TOUR Championship, he's guaranteed of winning the FedExCup.

Johnson began Saturday's round by nailing an approach shot to within nine feet on the opening hole to set up his first birdie.

Then, on the par-3 second, his tee shot landed to within six feet for another birdie. That's the second closest tee shot struck at the second hole this week. Heath Slocum landed his tee shot 5 feet, 2 inches from the pin in the second round.

Johnson is making his fourth start at East Lake. He's never won here, but he does hold the course record of 10-under 60 that he shot en route to a tie for second in 2007. Three of his six career wins have come in Georgia, including his 2007 win at the Masters.—MIke McAllister

VYING FOR 54-HOLE LEAD (9:40 a.m.): If Tiger Woods maintains his lead after Saturday's round, it would be the fifth time in his career in which he's held or shared the 54-hole lead at THE TOUR Championship.

Of those four previous times, Woods has gone on to win twice and finished second the other two times.

In the 22-year history of the event, the 54-hole leader/co-leader has gone on to win 14 times. Last year, Sergio Garcia led after 54 holes but finished second.

Surprisingly, only one other player in the 30-man field has ever held the 54-hole lead at this event. Scott Verplank was the solo third-round leader in 2001 but eventually finished tied for fifth.—MIke McAllister

OLD, BUT STILL GOOD (9:28 a.m.): Two of the three oldest competitors in this week's field are paired together in the third round. Kenny Perry (who turned 49 last month) and Jerry Kelly (who turns 43 in November) tee off at 10 a.m. ET.

Only 45-year-old Scott Verplank is older than Kelly.

Both Perry and Kelly have been affected by the heat in the first two days, so the cooler conditions Saturday morning should be beneficial to them.

The two are in striking distance going into the third round, with each one at 2-under 138, just three strokes off the lead held by Tiger Woods.—Mike McAllister

WEATHER UPDATE (9:18 a.m.): The skies were gray and heavy as the third round of THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola got under way about an hour ago.

Although there were several heavy downpours on Friday evening at East Lake, the worst of the precipitation will likely hold off until mid-afternoon. Saturday's final tee time is 10:20 a.m. and play is projected to end at 2:30 p.m. The pros are playing the ball down.

Possible accumulations of between 1 to 3 inches are expected in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The probability of rain is 90 percent and the showers are expected to become heavy by mid-afternoon. Temperatures have moderated, though, and are not expected to climb out of the mid-70s, which should be a welcome break from the heat and humidity of the first two days.

The front will be gone by late Saturday night. Sunday's forecast is for mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80s.—Helen Ross

INSIDE THE NUMBERS (9:10 a.m.): With Tiger Woods sitting atop the leaderboard at just 5 under and only 11 players under par through the first two rounds of THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, it's pretty apparent there won't be any scoring records set this week. But this isn't exactly 1998, either, when the scoring average was over par for every round (see chart below).

Why has East Lake been so difficult, despite heavy rain in Atlanta recently? One, a SubAir system has kept the greens very firm. Two, the pin positions have been difficult. Let's see if that trend continues today with the early tee times.—Brian Wacker

Round-by-round scoring averages for THE TOUR Championship at East Lake Year Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Cumulative 1998 71.067 71.433 71.100 71.267 71.218 2000 70.034 69.379 70.207 69.552 69.793 2002 70.300 70.033 70.133 68.367 69.707 2004 70.633 70.867 69.931 69.345 70.203 2005 69.414 69.069 69.103 70.069 69.414 2006 72.074 71.370 69.852 69.741 70.760 2007 67.500 67.833 67.800 70.167 68.325 2008 72.233* 70.833 70.500 70.367 70.983 2009 70.500 70.133 — — — *Highest single-round scoring average in tournament history at East Lake Golf Club.

EARLY START (9 a.m.): With the threat of bad weather later today, the tee times were moved up with the first group going off at 8 a.m. The hope being, of course, that they'll get everything in before things get bad on what's an already oversaturated state (although the golf course has held up surprisingly well thanks in part to a SubAir system and a tremendous grounds crew).

And with that early start, Geoff Ogilvy is finally under par on a round for the first time all week. Ogilvy, who shot 75-73 in the first two rounds, birdied the first hole and has made three pars since.

About halfway up the leaderboard from Ogilvy, meanwhile, is David Toms, who is even par for the week. Why is that relevant? Because Toms, one of the more accurate players off the tee, ranks last in the field in driving accuracy this week, having hit just 11 of 28 fairways through two rounds.

Those are two of the more surprising things to come out of this week at East Lake so far.—Brian Wacker

Groups We're Watching Tee time Players   10:20 a.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Tiger Woods, Padraig HarringtonOnly two players—Woods and Harrington—broke par in each of the first two rounds, and the course will only get tougher. 10:10 a.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Ernie Els, Sean O'HairAs expected, O'Hair leads the field in greens in regulation. He needs to make his 10-foot birdie putts to break away from the pack. 9:30 a.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Stewart Cink, David TomsCink made quad on the par-4 10th on Friday, but still lies only four back. Toms is first in driving accuracy this year on TOUR, but last this week. Live Essentials Follow every shot with our newest application The only place on the Internet for real-time live scoring Listen to expert commentary on the PGA TOUR Network News, notes, stats and analysis during each round

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British team extends lead to 9-5 in Vivendi Trophy

SAINT-NOM-LA-BRETECHE, France (AP)—Britain and Ireland struck another blow toContinental Europe in the Vivendi Trophy on Saturday, extending its lead to 9-5in the European Tour matchplay event.

Captained by three-time Ryder Cup winner Paul McGinley, Britain and Irelandwon three of the four greensomes—where both players drive and hit alternateshots with the preferred tee shot.

Member of the Continental Euro… AP – Sep 26, 7:54 am EDT Member of the Continental Euro… AP – Sep 26, 7:54 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 26, 7:35 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 26, 7:32 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 26, 7:32 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 26, 7:29 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 26, 7:27 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 26, 7:25 am EDT Members of the Great Britain a… AP – Sep 26, 7:25 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 26, 7:23 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 26, 7:18 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 25, 12:03 pm EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 25, 12:03 pm EDT Member of the Continental Euro… AP – Sep 25, 12:00 pm EDT Members of the Continental Eur… AP – Sep 25, 11:58 am EDT Members of the Continental Eur… AP – Sep 25, 11:56 am EDT Members of the Continental Eur… AP – Sep 25, 11:24 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 25, 11:16 am EDT Member of the Continental Euro… AP – Sep 25, 11:09 am EDT Member of the Continental Euro… AP – Sep 25, 11:08 am EDT Members of the Great Britain a… AP – Sep 25, 11:07 am EDT Members of the Continental Eur… AP – Sep 25, 11:06 am EDT Members of the Continental Eur… AP – Sep 25, 11:05 am EDT Members of the Great Britain a… AP – Sep 25, 11:04 am EDT Member of the Continental Euro… AP – Sep 24, 11:21 am EDT Alvaro Quiros of Spain, a memb… AP – Sep 24, 11:03 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 24, 10:50 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 24, 10:48 am EDT Members of the Great Britain a… AP – Sep 24, 10:40 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 24, 10:30 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 24, 10:24 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 24, 10:22 am EDT Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 24, 10:14 am EDT Members of the Continental Eur… AP – Sep 24, 10:12 am EDT Members of the Continental Eur… AP 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Robert Rock and Nick Dougherty gave Britain and Ireland its first point ofthe day with a 5 and 4 win over Robert Karlsson and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.Karlsson has just recovered from an eye problem that has sidelined him sinceMay.

Member of the Great Britain an… AP – Sep 26, 7:35 am EDT

Northern Ireland pair Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy rallied from 2 downafter eight holes to beat Henrik Stenson and Peter Hanson 2 and 1.

Ross Fisher and Chris Wood gave McGinley’s team a five-point lead by stayinga shot up over Anders Hansen and Francesco Molinari.

Europe’s Miguel-Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros birdied the last hole togive the first loss on Simon Dyson and Oliver Wilson.

Four foursomes are slated on Saturday afternoon before Sunday’s 10 singlesmatches at the Saint-Nom-la-Breteche Golf Club on the outskirts of Paris.

The Vivendi Trophy, formerly known as the Seve Trophy after SeveBallesteros, was created in 2000. Europe won the inaugural event before Britainand Ireland won it four consecutive times.

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Paddy bearing down on Tiger? (Yahoo! Sports)

The best rivalries often start out lopsided.

For most of his career, Tiger Woods has operated without a true rival. Pretenders have come and gone. Some remain strong if flawed (Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els), some have faded into career oblivion (David Duval, Ty Tryon) and some haven’t yet achieved their full potential (Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas). But among all Tiger’s challengers, nobody has been able to play at a consistent enough level to be considered an unquestionable rival.

But maybe – and we’re risking jinx just by saying this – maybe a real rival finally has arrived, a rival who actually has been there all along. Tiger and Padraig Harrington have known each other for decades; they played against each other as amateurs in the Walker Cup.

Related Video Paddy talks about Tiger

Paddy talks about Tiger

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While nobody would presume to compare their careers in sum – Harrington has 25 PGA wins to Tiger’s 71 – it’s Harrington who has the better record in majors over the last three years, three to two. And while Tiger usually has faced down a rotating cast of challengers, Harrington has proved unusually tenacious in at least hanging around Tiger.

On Saturday, the two will be paired for the ninth time this season. OK, so Tiger has won seven of those matchups. But the fact that they’re playing together so much says volumes about the state of Harrington’s game.

“Sometimes we get [paired] with the same guy four days in a row and we’re down at the bottom of the field, and nobody really cares,” Harrington said, smiling after his Friday round. “But the fact [is], when you’re playing with Tiger, he’s very rarely not near the [top of the] leaderboard, so that’s why it’s a good thing to be playing there. You know you’re going to be in contention and you know you’re going to have a chance of winning the tournament the more you play with Tiger.”

Strangely, even though Harrington is five years older than Woods, reporters asked him after the round if he’d picked up any tips from Tiger, almost as if Woods was the grizzled veteran and Harrington the callow newcomer.

Harrington was having none of the worship-Tiger talk, however: “When you’re out there on the golf course, he’s just another guy,” he said. “You can’t put him on a pedestal like that.”

That willingness to look at Tiger as “just another guy” speaks to the key element of Harrington’s character that makes him the ideal rival to Tiger: his relaxed approach to the game. No one can beat Tiger by being more intense than him; you might as well try to build a fire hotter than the sun. So Harrington takes the opposite tack, reveling in the circus that surrounds Woods wherever he goes.

“I like a busier golf course,” he said. “I like a bit of motion and noise. There’s an ambient noise when you’re out there. … It’s harder when there’s one person standing there on his own than when there’s 10,000 people.”

Of course, rivals have to close the deal before they truly are rivals. You have to beat the man to be the man, and on that score, Harrington has fallen short. He has had two notable flameouts in recent weeks while in contention with Tiger. At the Bridgestone and the PGA in August, he carded Sunday 8s that destroyed his hopes of defeating Tiger straight-up, and the c-word – “choke” – started cropping up around the usually steel-stomached Harrington.

Thing is, it’s not hard to look like a choker when you’re around Tiger. Several times on Friday, Tiger played a game of “anything you can do” with Harrington. Paddy would put his approach on the green, Tiger would step up and put his a club’s length from the pin. Harrington could have flinched on any of half a dozen holes, but he hung in there and ended up carding a 69 that was only one stroke worse than Woods’ effort.

So Harrington now has a perfect opportunity to face down Tiger head-to-head, to put a stake in that “choker” label. Fans of great golf rivalries had better hope he steps up. Because right now, there’s nobody else on the horizon.

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