Imperturbable David Toms fought off some of the game's best players and held onto his lead today after three rounds of the Sprint International.

Toms -- who began the day with a 3-point lead over Paul Goydos but with heavyweights David Duval, Ernie Els and Steve Elkington in close pursuit -- finished with 39 points and that same 3-point lead.

Duval and Stephen Ames each had 36 points.

In tying the tournament's 54-hole scoring record set by Phil Mickelson in 1997, Toms withstood serious challenges on Saturday from Duval, Ames and Sergio Garcia to lead this event for the third straight day.

Garcia and Els finished with 32 points, while Billy Mayfair had 30.

Toms, 32, birdied four of his first eight holes to push his total to 37 points under the modified Stableford scoring system used in this event. At the turn, he had an 8-point lead over Ames and was 9 ahead of Els and 10 ahead of Garcia.

After a bogey by Toms at No. 10 and two back-nine birdies by Ames, the lead had shrunk to 3 points. Duval also birdied two holes on the back nine to get within 6 points.

But Garcia, the dashing 19-year-old Spaniard who finished second to Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship last week, made the biggest move of the day.

Garcia, seeking his first victory in the United States, birdied his first three holes to raise his total to 27 points and had birdies in succession at Nos. 15, 16 and 17 to jump solidly into contention with 32 points.

Toms's lead was again reduced to 3 points after he bogeyed the 15th hole and Ames birdied 17. Ames added another birdie at 18 to get within a point.

But Toms, who won the 1997 Quad Cities Classic and who ranks among the top 50 on the PGA Tour's money list for the third straight season, countered with a birdie at the par-5 17th.

Unlike the early years of this tournament -- when golfers started from zero each day and there were daily cuts -- all scores are cumulative for four rounds. The format, which rewards aggressive play, awards 8 points for a double eagle, 5 points for eagle, 2 points for birdie, zero for par, minus-1 for bogey and minus-3 for double bogey or worse.

After today's round, the field was cut to the low 36 players for Sunday's final round.

Among those missing the cut were Woods, who was victimized by a double bogey on the final hole. Woods scored only 2 points Saturday, giving him a total of 18.

Woods uncharacteristically had trouble on the par-5 eighth hole, hitting his second shot into the trees, taking a drop and making bogey. After birdies at 14 and 17 that would have put him safely into Sunday with 21 points, he double-bogeyed the par-4 18th after a wayward drive that again required a drop. His third shot found a bunker, he blasted long and failed to make the comebacker, losing 3 points.

Toms set a tournament record with 29 points after 36 holes.

AP