Woods lead is cut to two shots

Sunday's final round of the World Golf Championships-American Express Championship has more subplots than a John Grisham novel.

There's the PGA tour Player of the Year race, and what a win Sunday could do toward determining his identity. The $1.05 million first prize to be handed out would go a long way toward determining the money title, too.

Most important, though, are the two protagonists -- Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. They're two of the game's finest players, ranking first and third in the world, respectively, and sure to squeeze some drama into the final 18 holes.

"A lot of things are up for grabs tomorrow," Woods admitted. "We'll just take care of business, play one shot at a time. Whatever the outcome is, the outcome is, but we've just got to play."

Singh fired the low round of the tournament, a 64, on Saturday to propel himself into Sunday's final pairing with Woods. He'll start the day two strokes behind the leader, who had to settle for a 1-under 69 in the third round.

"I even could have gone lower than that because I missed a lot of chances out there," said Singh, who leads the tour money list with more than $5.7 million. "But 64 is a great number for me, and it's going to be a big boost for tomorrow."

Woods and Singh aren't the only players in this elite gathering of the best from around the world with a shot at the title Sunday. Tim Herron is 5 under and three strokes behind Woods after a 67 while Korea's K.J. Choi is another stroke back.

Given their track record this year -- and every year, really -- Woods and Singh would have to be considered the odds-on favorites. Both are fierce competitors who live for challenges like the one they'll face Sunday on Tom Fazio's difficult course.

Woods has won four times in 2003 while Singh, who says he's playing the best golf of his career, has three victories. They come to play on Sundays. Singh's final-round scoring average of 69.24 ranks sixth on Tour while Woods is ninth at 69.36.

"It's going to be a lot of fun," Woods said. "There are probably four guys that have a chance of winning right down to K.J., realistic chances, and then if someone plays a great game at 1 or 2 (under), they can get back in it."

Woods, though, has an enviable record when he owns the lead after three rounds of a PGA Tour event. He has been in that position 31 times and gone on to win 29 of those tournaments.

"It's not easy going out there with a lead," Woods admitted. "Everyone is coming after you. But the great thing is, you always have those shots to play with. If I shoot the same score as they do, obviously, I win. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out."

Woods, who went to Stanford and knows whereof he speaks, may be nearly automatic with the 54-hole lead. But he found out first-hand on Saturday how quickly the Crabapple Course, even at its most docile, can strike back.

"I got off to a great start," said Woods, who made birdie on three of his first seven holes. "I just made two mistakes early that I don't normally make - three-putted eight and then made bogey with a wedge in my hand on 11."

Woods got those shots back with birdies on the 12th and 13th holes. But he dug himself a hole again at the 16th when his drive strayed into a fairway bunker and settled in front of a small mound of sand, leaving him no shot at the green.

All Woods could do was hit a sand wedge out, then he dumped another into the front greenside bunker. His third straight sand wedge was long, and he two-putted from 40 feet for double bogey -- and had to hole a 10-footer for that..

"It was kind of frustrating, but I got in the clubhouse and still have the lead," said Woods, who noted he twice got to 10 under only to come back to the pack.

"I worked pretty hard to get there, and if I would have kept myself there, I would have basically maintained the same type of lead I had yesterday."

Singh was within a stroke of Woods after a string of four straight birdies that began at the ninth hole. His bogey at the 14th, answered by Woods with a birdie at No. 12, separated them by three, though.

Another Singh birdie at the 17th hole closed the gap to 1 again as Woods was making double. But the quiet man from Fiji finished with a bogey and Woods parred in to drop two behind the leader.

"I'm swinging very well," said Singh, who hit 12 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens. "I don't know if I can swing the club any better, and if I can keep doing this, I'm going to shoot some low numbers."

He'd love to have another one on Sunday. The key will be getting off to a good start, which both Woods and Singh have been able to do, shooting 7 under and 5 under, respectively on the front side.

"With what this golf course is, you've got to get off to a great start because there's birdie holes early," Woods said. "That kind of sets the tone for the day."

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