Tiger, Kim face off at Congressional

BETHESDA, Md. - Tournament host Tiger Woods and defending champion Anthony Kim set the stage yesterday for a showdown everyone wanted at the AT&T National, with some expected company on a suddenly crowded leader board 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 68.

The two were at 10-under 200, one shot ahead of Michael Allen and Cameron Beckman. Jim Furyk and Rod Pampling were two shots back.

Kim, 24, has never finished higher than Woods in a PGA Tour event, and they will be the final group, 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 45-3 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 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 finished with two routine pars for his 70.

Allen, who is 0 for 336 in his PGA Tour career but won the Senior PGA Championship earlier this year, made seven birdies in a round of 65, the best score of the day.

LPGA

Yi takes 4-shot lead

SYLVANIA, Ohio - Eunjung Yi (IHN'-juhng E) had eight birdies and an eagle at Highland Meadows for a 10-under 61 and four-shot lead after the third round of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.

The 21-year-old Yi, who has never finished better than a tie for 11th in her 23 LPGA Tour events, was at 18-under 195 after putting up the lowest third-round score in the tournament's 25 years.

Song-Hee Kim shot a 64 and was at 199 along with Morgan Pressel, who had a 67.

Mikaela Parmalid, who teed off more than four hours before the last group, shot a 62 to jump from a tie for 54th through 36 holes to the lead by herself until she was caught and passed by Yi.

Parmalid was at 12 under along with the world's No.2 player, Yani Tseng (65), Kemp (70), Shanshan Feng (65), Suzann Pettersen (67), Jiyai Shin (68), and Seon Hwa Lee (68).

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa birdied three of the first five holes before racking up 13 consecutive pars in a 67 that left her at 202 with Natalie Gulbis.

Scores, Page C9