Woods fires course record takes lead

Tiger Woods fired a course-record nine-under par 62 Saturday to seize a commanding seven-stroke lead after three rounds of the BMW Championship.

Woods had a 16-under total of 197, seven shots ahead of American Brandt Snedeker, who carded a 66, and Australian Marc Leishman, who posted a 68.

Shrugging off a bogey at the first, Woods went from strength to strength.

"After I got past the first hole I was doing all right," Woods said. "It was one of those days that kind of built upon itself."

Woods's round was highlighted by an eagle at the par-five ninth, where he hit a three-wood from some 300 yards to 10 feet.

Woods built his biggest 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour since he led by eight strokes at the Buick Invitational in 2008. A four-time winner at Cog Hill, Woods improved on his own previous course record of 63, which he shot in the final round en route to victory here two years ago.

He tied the tournament low-round record set last year at Bellerive in St. Louis by Jim Furyk.

The 7.5 million-dollar tournament is the third event in the US PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoff series.

The field includes the top 70 in the playoff points list, but only 30 will advance to the Tour Championship in two weeks, where the playoff series titlist will be crowned with a 10 million-dollar payout at stake. A victory Sunday would put Woods back atop the playoff standings, a spot he relinquished last week to Steve Stricker. Snedeker, who battled a rib injury this season, had thought at one point he might struggle to retain his tour card.

But he has turned his game around and has a chance to book his spot in the Tour Championship. That would also qualify him for all of next year's major championships.

CHICAGO, AFP