Goosen & Woods tied at the top

The best player in the world made his charge. Now he'll go head-to-head with the hottest player in the world.

After starting the day six strokes back, Tiger Woods earned a share of the third-round lead at The Masters on Saturday, finishing another long, wet day at Augusta National with a 6-under-par 66.

Trying to become just the third player in history to repeat as Masters champion, Woods played 26 holes in 8-under to leapfrog four golfers after rain forced the suspension of the second round on Friday.

Although he has just one victory since August, Woods is 18 holes away from his third green jacket, seventh major title and 31st win on the PGA Tour.

"I've been there before," said Woods, who had just one bogey all day and earned a place in Sunday's final pairing with a birdie at the 18th hole. "And I look forward to it."

But he will have to overcome unfazed Retief Goosen, who has a chance at history.

The cool South African dragged through 25 holes in 5-under Saturday, building a two-shot lead before settling for another final pairing in the final round of a major.

Goosen won last year's U.S. Open and has used the event as a springboard, winning five times since June, including last week's BellSouth Classic. He has three titles this season -- on three different continents.

"We all work for that," said Goosen, who called himself lucky. "You hope that one day everything starts falling together, and at the moment, that's happening for me."

The fourth-ranked player in the world can make history on Sunday, when he will try to become the first player to record four rounds in the 60s in one Masters appearance. He has opened 69-67-69.

"Anything in the 60s around here is a good score," said Goosen, who had cracked 70 just once in eight rounds at Augusta before this year.

Woods and Goosen have 54-hole totals of 11-under 205 -- two shots better than 2000 champion Vijay Singh, who let his second-round lead slip away with a 72.

Singh had two late bogeys. Before three-putting at the 17th, he sent his second shot at the par-5 15th over the green into the water, and later blamed mud on the ball.

"Those are the things you don't have any control over," said Singh, who earned his 10th PGA Tour win three weeks ago in Houston.

"Besides that, I played pretty good. I'm pleased with the way I struck the ball. Hopefully, I'll go out there and do the same tomorrow."

No one else is within three strokes of the leaders.

Playing tougher than ever since it was lengthened some 300 yards, rain-soaked Augusta National has allowed the cream to rise to the top as six of the top-seven players in the world lead the field.

"It's going to be a real battle," Singh said. "Anybody who gets hot tomorrow has a very good chance of winning."

Tied for fourth at 209 are Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els of South Africa and Spain's Sergio Garcia, who are ranked second, third and fifth in the world, respectively.

Like Woods, Mickelson started the day six shots back. "The best player never to have won a major" trimmed his deficit to four with a bogey-free 68.

"I'm going to have to go catch them," said Mickelson, whose never broken 70 in the final round at Augusta. "And I'm hoping that if I can get a good, low round, it will hopefully be enough."

But the tournament should come down to No. 1 vs. No. 1 this year. History is on the side of Woods and Goosen as every Masters champ since 1991 has come from the final pairing.

Unlike his demonstrative personality, Woods quietly put himself in position, finishing a 69 with two birdies and a series of par saves before making a charge in the afternoon.

"It was a long day and a tough grind out there," said Woods, who awoke at 4:30 a.m. and finished the third round just before 6 p.m. "But I felt like I hung in there and I really played well."

Goosen took a similar approach.

Hovering among the leaders all day, he had nine birdies, four bogeys and a host of par saves in 25 holes, using an incredible putting stroke on Augusta's treacherous greens to keep himself from further trouble.

"Yeah, I've been reading the greens quite nicely, me and my caddie," said Goosen, who is tied for second in putts this week with 80. "I seem to see the lines pretty good on the greens."

Woods has had five more putts than Goosen, but the flat stick has helped him to a share of the lead. He had four par putts of at least six feet Saturday morning.

"These are the things that you have to do in order to keep the momentum in the round going," he said. "I seem to have been successful at it so far."

Woods also had his share of birdie putts, including a 10-footer at No. 18 in the third round that put him in the final pairing on Sunday. Woods and his caddie, Steve Williams, knew what it took to get there.

"When I hit my (approach) shot in the air, he says, 'Get in the final group,'" recalled Woods, who pointed at the ball and pumped his fist after making birdie.

Goosen had a better chance at making the last pairing, having birdied the first three holes of the third round for a two-shot lead. He had at least a share of the lead all day after his birdie at No. 1.

"Starting any round with three birdies is quite comfortable and makes you feel a little bit more relaxed," he said.

But Goosen always seems relaxed, bouncing back after every miscue.

After three-putting for bogey at the eighth and 14th, he saved par from four feet at the ninth and earned his second two-shot lead of the day with a six-footer for birdie at the 15th.

If Goosen wins his second straight title, he will have his putter to thank. It's quite a contrast to June, when he three-putted for bogey on the final hole of regulation at the Open to fall into a playoff.

"He's a great putter," Singh said. "Look at the U.S. Open, he does the same thing. He didn't hit the ball as good as he wanted to, but he capitalized on the greens."

Goosen will be looking for more of the same on Sunday, when he tries to continue his hot streak and pull off the rare feat of defeating Woods.

Woods iss 22-2 on the PGA Tour when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead. He also has never finished second in a major.

"It's going to be tough," Goosen said. "You know, any final round in a major is difficult. I mean, it's going to be difficult for Tiger, as well."