Kenny Perry takes narrow advantage

Kenny Perry upstaged golf's big names to earn a one-stroke lead during Saturday's third round at the Bay Hill Invitational.

Perry picked up three shots in 11 holes to improve to 9-under-par before play was halted for the day in fading light at Bay Hill.

"I drove the ball beautifully and hit my irons really good," Perry said.

But as well as he played, he could not break clear of Stephen Ames, who also collected three birdies to keep the pressure on at 8-under, also after 11 holes.

Vijay Singh and K.J. Choi each played 13 holes and are two shots behind, while Fred Couples trails by three with two holes left in his third round.

Only 30 players completed the round, with Aaron Baddeley and Duffy Waldorf tops among them at 4-under 212. The other 40 will resume Sunday at 8 a.m. local time, with the final round scheduled to start at about 11 a.m.

Four-time Bay Hill winner Tiger Woods is among those who will up before dawn, and he has much work to do to get back into contention after plunging nine shots behind after 13 holes.

Woods hit only five of 11 fairways, and his wild tee shot at the par-4 ninth proved costly as he pulled his ball out-of-bounds, leading to a double bogey.

Perry, on the other hand, had no such problems. He was a machine, missing just one fairway and one green in regulation.

"It was a real fun day and I had a lot of opportunities," said the 44-year-old native of Kentucky, who has seven PGA Tour victories, including three in four starts in 2003. "I'm frustrated that I didn't separate myself a little bit from the field. Hopefully I finish up strong in the morning and then go get 'em in the afternoon. I've never won in Florida and I've never understood why."

Due to the Thursday's weather delay, Perry has had an early tee time every day this week, and he played 30 holes on Saturday.

"I'm definitely not a spring chicken anymore," he said. "My feet are very sore, but I hit my best drive of the day on the last hole, although I don't know if that meant anything or not. Hopefully I can keep hitting it like I did today. The 30 holes I played were very easy and very fun.

"I was right in the fairway, down the middle and on the green. I told people at the beginning of the week that the guy who wins this tournament is the guy who drives it best. I've not had any luck when I've been in the rough. I've seen Tiger do some magic stuff out of there but I don't have the strength to move the ball like he does."

Perry doesn't need too either, because he doesn't hit the rough as often as Woods, having missed just five fairways all week.

"It's a ball-striker's course," Perry said. "There is a premium on driving this week and that's one of the best clubs in my bag. It's nice to know if the guys drive it in the rough they may have to lay up."

Woods and Ernie Els may be struggling, but Singh is lurking menacingly, waiting to pounce if the leaders falter.

"I'm two back and we have 23 holes to play," he observed,leaving unsaid that such a margin was nothing to worry about. "I should have birdied a few more holes because it wasn't playing so difficult. I three-putted 10 and missed really good opportunities on 11 and 12."

Indeed he did, missing a four-footer at the 10th, and from nine feet at the next two holes.

How many players are in contention starting the final round will depend largely on what the leaders do in the morning. If they finish strongly they will take many players out of contention.

"It'll be great to sleep in tomorrow," said Baddeley, who will probably still be in dreamland when play resumes.

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