Golf: Long-hitting Woods set to win again

ORLANDO - Tiger Woods is on the verge of his third win of the season and his fourth in a row at the US$4.5 million ($8.21 million) Bay Hill Invitational, after storming into a five-shot lead today.

Woods played 29 holes in the day, tidying up a seven-under 65 second round before shooting a third-round 66 to reach a 15-under 201.

Brad Faxon, who shot 65, is alone in second at 10-under-par and Stewart Cink, who had a 70, is third at eight under.

Sadly, the much-anticipated duel between world No 2 Ernie Els and Woods failed to materialise.

By the time Woods was finished with his second round in the morning, he was four shots ahead of Els.

In the afternoon, the South African shot an even-par 72 and appeared to be hampered by a nagging wrist injury.

"I always knew the key to this golf course was the par fives," Woods said of his success over the 6619m course.

"With my length, I should be able to get to every par five, and with that in mind I should be able to walk off with four."

Woods is 10-under-par on the par-fives this week, including eight birdies on the par-fives in the second and third rounds.

A Woods victory seems all but inevitable given the fact that five shots is his biggest lead ever at Bay Hill after three rounds and his PGA Tour record when sharing or holding the 54-hole lead is 27 victories from 29 attempts.

"You've still got to go out there and make birdies, because obviously, if he [Faxon] goes out there and shoots an eight-under-par round, I've still got to shoot under-par in order to win," Woods said.

Faxon will need to play better than he did the last time he was paired with Woods in the final group, last month at the Buick Invitational.

In that match Faxon was one-shot back after 54 holes, but could manage only a final round 72 and lost by five strokes.

"It would be a great story, wouldn't it?" Faxon said of potentially overcoming the huge deficit and beating Woods.

Els started well, making birdie on the first hole to move within three shots of the lead at six-under-par, but he then turned in a pedestrian 72. pf* In Phoenix, Swedish star Annika Sorenstam holds a two-shot lead after three rounds of the Safeway Ping LPGA tournament.

Sorenstam shot a 65 yesterday to be two clear of French player Patricia Meunier Lebouc.

Koreans Grace Park and Se Ri Pak, and Australian Karrie Webb are a further shot back.

- AGENCIES