BETHESDA, Md. — Tournament host Tiger Woods and defending champion Anthony Kim set the stage Saturday for a showdown everyone wanted at the AT&T National, with some expected company on a suddenly crowded leaderboard at Congressional.
Woods salvaged an even- par 70 from a roller-coaster round, losing a three-shot lead in two holes and having to scramble down the stretch to regain a share of the lead.
Kim turned birdie into bogey with an ugly three-putt on No. 9, but kept his cool in warm, blustery conditions for a 2-under-par 68.
The 24-year-old has never finished higher than Woods in a PGA Tour event, and this will be the first time they have been paired together in any round of any tournament.
“I’m excited to be there,” Kim said. “There’s not too many chances to play against the best in the world at his tournament. I would love to play great tomorrow.”
And what does he expect from Tiger? “I expect he’s going to be wearing a red shirt and be out there ready to go,” Kim said.
Woods has a 44-3 record on the PGA Tour when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead, although it took work to get there. He started with a one-shot lead over Rod Pampling, an advantage that was gone after one hole when Woods drove into the gallery and couldn’t reach the green out of the thick rough.
He recovered with a 25-foot eagle on the par-5 ninth for a three-shot lead, but going from bunker-to-bunker near the green and missing a 7-foot putt gave him a double bogey at No. 11 — Woods has played that hole in 4-over this week — and a tie for the lead.
Woods had to get up-and- down for birdie on the 16th for a share of the lead, and he made routine pars for his 70.
Woods and Kim are at 10-under, while Michael Allen, who made seven birdies in a round of 65, was at 9-under 201 with Cameron Beckman, who chipped in for eagle on the par-5 16th for a 66.
Footnotes.
Eunjung Yi made eight birdies and an eagle for a 10-under 61 and four-shot lead after three rounds of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.
The 21-year-old Yi, who has never finished better than a tie for 11th in her 23 LPGA Tour events, is at 18-under 195.
Song-Hee Kim shot a 64 and is at 199 along with Morgan Pressel (67).
• Rafa Echenique of Argentina held onto his lead at the French Open in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, shooting a 1-under 70 for a one-stroke advantage over Martin Kaymer of Germany.
