Golf: Bjorn leads after Woods' charge falters in the sun

SANDWICH - Tiger Woods dropped four shots on the back nine to lose his momentum just as he looked poised to take the British Open by the scruff of the neck in a sun-drenched third round yesterday.

The world No 1 eagled the fourth and seventh holes to lead the tournament for the first time. But bogeys at the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th meant a 69 that took him back to one-over for the tournament, two behind leader Thomas Bjorn, who also shot a 69.

Denmark's Bjorn also eagled the fourth and birdied the ninth before nine pars on the back nine left him at one-under, a shot clear of second-round leader Davis Love and two ahead of Woods, Fiji's Vijay Singh, Spain's Sergio Garcia, and Americans Ben Curtis and Kenny Perry.

Bjorn, runner-up to Woods in the 2000 Open, was left in pole position to claim his first major title.

Woods fired his first eagle of the tournament at the par-five fourth before a spectacular bunker shot at the seventh sent the ball unerringly into the hole from about 13m.

He celebrated in flamboyant style, raising both hands in the air, but kept his concentration sufficiently to notch another birdie with a 6m putt at the ninth before his problems on the back nine left him at one-over 214.

Singh, chasing his third major, birdied three of the last four holes to score 69, while Garcia holed a monstrous chip on the 17th to save his par on the way to a 70.

Love suffered four early bogeys to slip down the leaderboard before an eagle three at the 14th pushed him back to level par after a round of 72.

Defending champion Ernie Els endured a frustrating day, slipping down the field before a birdie at the last left him five over for the tournament.

Earlier, Nick Faldo rolled back the years with a sparkling 67, the best round of the tournament, later matched by Sweden's Pierre Fulke and Briton Mark Roe, who took the clubhouse lead before being disqualified along with his playing partner Jesper Parnevik for signing for the wrong score.

Faldo made six birdies to complete his lowest British Open round since 1995. It was also his 35th Open round in the 60s, moving him two ahead of American Jack Nicklaus at the top of the all-time list.

Four other former British Open champions - Greg Norman, Tom Lehman, John Daly and Mark O'Meara - drifted out of contention.

New Zealand's Michael Campbell was also well back, 12 shots off the lead with scores of 78, 72 and 74.

* World No 73 Steve Lowery surged clear with a four-under 68 in the third round of the $US3 million ($5.22 million) BC Open at Endicott, New York.

Lowery's 20-under total of 196 put him five strokes ahead of Germany's Alexander Cejka and Britain's John Morgan.

New Zealand's Steve Alker was on 211.

- NZPA