Tiger Vaults into Lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational


Tiger Woods fired a 6-under 66 to jump into the lead after 54 holes of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The $6.2 million PGA Tour stop is taking place at Bay Hill in Orlando.

Woods, the defending champion and a seven-time winner of the tournament, carded three birdies on the front nine. He added two more birdies, an eagle (on the par-5 16th) and a bogey on the home half to reach 11-under 205, two strokes ahead of Rickie Fowler (67), John Huh (71) and Justin Rose. Rose, who led or shared the lead through the first two rounds, shot an even-par 72.

"I hit a lot of good shots, and I made a lot of putts," said Woods of 66, which was matched for Saturday's low round by Matt Every, Keegan Bradley and Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen.

The 37-year-old Woods needed only 25 putts. "I played halfway decent today," he told reporters. "Made a few putts. That's what I was pleased with."

Woods career record is 51-4 when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead. If he holds to form, Woods will notch his eighth victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, tying the all-time mark for the most wins in the same tournament by Sam Snead (Greater Greensboro Open).

With a win Sunday - his third of the 2013 season - Woods will supplant Rory McIlroy as the No. 1-ranked player in the world. He'll also be only five career victories behind Snead on the all-time win total.

Fowler posted six birdies and a bogey, while Huh had three birdies and two bogeys and Rose three birdies, an eagle (on the par-5 fourth) and five bogeys.

Sharing fifth at 208 are Olesen, Spain's Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (68), Jimmy Walker (70), Ken Duke (70) and second-round co-leader Bill Haas (73). Another stroke further back are Bradley and Mark Wilson (70).

Five shots behind Woods heading into Sunday's final round are Brian Stuard (67) and Canada's Brad Fritsch (70), with Sweden's Henrik Stenson (69), England's Ian Poulter (70), Hunter Mahan (70) and John Rollins (71) tied for 14th at 5-under 211.

For complete scoring details, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.