American Express Championship2006

Tiger Woods eagled The Grove's 18th hole for a third successive day to increase his WGC American Express Championship lead to six strokes in Saturday's third round.

It is the first time in his career the American has eagled the same hole three times in a tournament.

Title-holder Woods had struggled on the greens for the first time in the week but a birdie just before the turn signalled a transformation in the world number one's fortunes.

He rounded off his revival by holing from about 34ft on the last.

A round of four-under-par 67 took Woods to 19-under-par 194, with Australian Adam Scott, who carded a flawless six-birdie 65, now his closest rival.

Briton David Howell, one of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team, drew to within two strokes of Woods early on as the leader for the first two rounds proved fallible in blustery weather.

Two three-putts, the second, at the eighth, costing him only his second bogey of the week, put Woods under pressure but he rose to the occasion by picking up five shots in the next 10 holes.

Only six eagles have been made on the 18th and Woods has produced three of them. His latest three on the par-five makes him odds-on to seal his fifth win in the event in seven starts and provide him with his 12th WGC title.

Perfectionist Woods, who delayed his news conference to go straight to putting practice, said: "I hit the ball great, by far better than the first two days, but it was a struggle all day on the greens.

"I didn't have feel or pace. But I just kept telling myself to hang in there and something finally happened."

Caddie Steve Williams infamously dropped his player's nine-iron in the water at the K Club during the Ryder Cup last week and Woods felt like doing something similar with his putter, he confessed.

"I thought about a lot of things to do with the putter today," Woods said.

Scott was delighted to become Woods's chief opponent but remained under no illusions about the task ahead.

"The guy is such a good front-runner," Scott told reporters. "He gets so focused and we've seen this year how good he finishes out tournaments and shuts the field out on Sunday.

"We're all up against it, that's for sure."

Two more Americans are a further stroke back -- Woods's Ryder Cup partner Jim Furyk (69) and surprise contender Brett Quigley (67).

Stewart Cink, another of the U.S. Ryder Cup team last week, also got to within two shots of Woods only to slip to a 70 and eight off the pace.

Howell, who needs to finish at least sixth on his own to overtake fellow Englishman Paul Casey on top of Europe's money-list, is in a tie for sixth place after three bogeys on his back nine saw him drift to a 71.