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Robert Allenby's long eagle putt on the 18th hole came up one turn short Saturday, leaving him in a share of the lead, the same spot where he started a topsy-turvy round in the NEC Invitational.
Only now, he has a lot of company - including Tiger Woods.

Allenby overcame an early double bogey for an even-par 71 at Sahalee Country Club, joining fellow Aussie Craig Parry (66) in the lead at 10-under 203 heading into the final round of the $5 million World Golf Championship event.

Woods was among the leaders until making bogey on his last two holes, but still managed a 67 and was two strokes behind in his bid to become the first player in 75 years to win the same event four years in a row.

Woods will play with Ernie Els, also at 8-under 205, with Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh among those who were another stroke behind.

In all, a dozen players were separated by four strokes.

"Guys like Tiger Woods are sitting right up behind me," Allenby said. "You've got the top three or four players in the world right on your heels. You know one of them will have a good day. And I can put a pretty good bet on one of them."

Woods also trailed by two strokes last year in the NEC Invitational at Firestone, beating Jim Furyk in a seven-hole playoff.

Allenby is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, although he has never won a tournament of this stature.

Parry has never won on the PGA Tour in 235 starts, and hasn't been in this position since he had the 54-hole lead in the 1995 Colonial - a year before Woods turned pro.

"I'm knocking on the door again," Parry said. "If the door opens this time, great. If it doesn't, I'll be back another time."

One stroke behind was golf's latest wild-and-crazy guy, Fred Funk, who found a new flock of fans in Seattle by holing a bunker shot on the 17th hole for a 68.

Funk only got into the $5 million bonanza with his tie for fourth in the PGA Championship last week, which put him at No. 50 in the world by 0.02 points. Now, he's one stroke out of the lead with a chance for a $1 million payoff.

"To be where I am, I'm pretty surprised," he said.

The third round was filled with surprises, not all of them good.

Allenby looked as though he might run away with the tournament when he birdied the first two holes. Then he hit a 2-iron that struck a tree in the fairway and ricocheted into the left rough. It was so deep, he only managed to move it 10 yards. His next shot traveled only 70 yards, and a double bogey slowed his momentum.

Parry was the only player among the top 10 without a bogey, and his longest par save was a putt from 6 feet on No. 4.

"I really kept the pressure off of myself all day," Parry said.

Despite a 4-under 67 that left him in great shape for the final round, Woods was furious after finishing with two bogeys that dropped him out of a share of the lead.

He was at 10 under when he stood on the 17th tee, and he was about to pull the trigger until he backed off. Steve Williams, his caddie, brought the bag over and Woods switched from a 5-iron to a 6-iron for the 230-yard shot.

He proceeded to pull the shot into the bunker and missed an 8-foot par putt.

"It was just a nice, smooth 5, and Stevie talked me out of a 5 and into a 6," Woods said. "What ticks me off is I had the final say-so, and I didn't trust my gut instincts. It's just a stupid play, and it cost me a shot."

The final hole didn't exactly improve his mood.

He hooked his driver into the rough, had to lay up and then pulled a wedge into the deep rough. As soon as Woods made contact, a lone voice in the grandstand screamed, "Get in the hole!" What the man should have said was, "Get on the green!"

The ball traveled about 6 feet, and Woods missed his 20-foot par putt to fall two strokes behind the leaders.

"You just blast it and hope you get it right," Woods said of the chip. "And I didn't."

Not everything went wrong.

He's a lot closer to the lead than he was last week at Hazeltine, where he started the final round five strokes behind and finished one back of Rich Beem.

"I got myself back in the tournament with a chance to win tomorrow," Woods said.

Walter Hagen (PGA Championship from 1924-27) was the last player to win the same event four years in a row, and Woods is primed to join him.

Just like last week at Hazeltine, however, the winner might not come from the top.

Els hit a few bumps along the way to his 67. The Big Easy started the day hopeful of getting to 10 under and giving himself a chance, not knowing that no one in the final group would break par.

Steve Lowery, the co-leader after 36 holes, had a 73 and Retief Goosen needed a birdie on the final hole for a 74.

"I guess 8 (under) is not bad," Els said. "I've got a lot of work left tomorrow, but at least I'm closer than I was this morning."

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