Woods gets level with Tway

Tiger Woods rolled in a 12-meter birdie putt on the 18th hole on Saturday and tied Bob Tway for the lead after three rounds of the National Car Rental Disney Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Forida.

Tiger Woods rolled in a 12-meter birdie putt on the 18th hole on Saturday and tied Bob Tway for the lead after three rounds of the National Car Rental Disney Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Forida.

"I'll sleep a lot better tonight because of that putt," Woods said after posting his third straight 66 at Disney.

Tway birdied the first four holes on the back nine and made a crucial par save on the 17th to also shoot a 66 and join Woods at 198 going into the final round, with South Africa's Ernie Els (68) the closest pursuer at 201.

Woods has won the last nine times in which he had at least a share of the lead after 54 holes and Saturday's performance put him in position to win for the sixth time in his past nine tournaments.

"If he's on and you're on, he's probably going to beat you," Tway said.Tway, the 1986 U.S. PGA champion, hasn't won since 1995, but with rounds of 67 and 65 he has not made a bogey in 42 holes. "I don't know if you're ever due," he said. "I have chance tomorrow. I have nothing to lose."

A victory on Sunday would likely move Tway from No. 56 on the money list into top 30 and qualify him for next week's $5m US Tour Championship for the second year in a row. "That would be another good year if I get into the Tour Championship, and it would be nice to win," he said.

Brad Faxon had 10 birdies in a round of 64, the best score of the day, and was tied with Franklin Langham at 202. Jim Carter, tied with Tway and Woods at the start of the day, made a double bogey on 18 for a 71 that dropped him to 203 along with Loren Roberts and Jay Delsing.

Woods will try to become the first player since Tom Watson in 1980 to win six times on the U.S. PGA Tour ÿ he also won in Germany in May, giving him six titles worldwide. "I'd like to get six, seven and eight would be nice," he said, looking ahead to the Tour Championship and the World Golf Championship tournament in Spain. "I'm pleased with the way I'm playing."

Australia's Steve Elkington, 33rd on the US order of merit, had a 71 and is four stros to finish at least that high to get into the Tour Championship, played on his home course in Houston. ... Mark O'Meara became the first casualty of the final World Golf Championship event, saying he is better off taking two weeks to regroup than make another trip across the Atlantic. "I feel bad I'm not going, but you can only do so much," O'Meara said. David Duval has also said he probably will not go to Valderrama, although he left open the possibility if he has a chance to win the money title.Disney Classic Scores

Leading scores after the third round of the $2.5m 1999 National Car Rental Golf Classic played on the 7,190-yard (6,543-meter), par-72 Disney Magnolia course:

Tiger Woods 66-66-66ÿ198; Bob Tway 67-65-66ÿ198; Ernie Els 68-65-68ÿ201; Franklin Langham 67-67-68ÿ202; Brad Faxon 65-73-64ÿ202; Jay Delsing 69-65-69ÿ203; Jim Carter 67-65-71ÿ203; Loren Roberts 67-68-68ÿ203; Dudley Hart 70-67-67ÿ204; Russ Cochran 68-69-68ÿ205; Jeff Sluman 70-65-70ÿ205; Scott Hoch 67-71-67ÿ205; Steve Elkington 66-69-71ÿ206; Gabriel Hjertstedt 69-65-72ÿ206; Larry Rinker 71-66-69ÿ206; Vijay Singh 66-71-69ÿ206.