ORLANDO, Fla. — Arnold Palmer was walking into the locker room Saturday morning at Bay Hill when he bumped into Tiger Woods, who recently surpassed him on the PGA Tour’s career victory list.
“He told me to get off my butt and play a good round,” Woods said.
Woods responded with birdies on the three toughest holes at Bay Hill for a 4-under-par 66 and a five-way tie for the lead. Palmer must have said something to Mother Nature, too, as blustery conditions contributed to a series of spectacular crashes late in the afternoon that turned the Arnold Palmer Invitational into quite a show.
Nine players had at least a share of the lead at one point in the third round.
When the zany, windy and splash-filled afternoon finally ended, Woods was in a familiar position as he tries to extend a winning streak that spans seven months and keep alive the ridiculed notion of a perfect season.
Woods will be in the final pairing today with Sean O’Hair, who won last week and gave himself a chance for another victory with a 63, a round he finished before the leaders teed off.
They were at 6-under 204, joined by Bart Bryant (68), Bubba Watson (68) and Vijay Singh, whose 73 made this all possible.
“I’ve played my way back into the tournament,” said Woods, who is 42-3 when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour.
