Kyle Stanley overpowered Torrey Pines and opened a five-shot lead Saturday in the Farmers Insurance Open.
About the only regret for Stanley was missing a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have broken the 54-hole tournament record set by Tiger Woods in 1998, before Rees Jones beefed up the South Course for the 2008 U.S. Open.
Stanley still managed a 4-under 68, a spot alongside Woods in the record book at 18-under 198 and great position for his first victory.
The performance looked familiar, even if the name didn't.
Woods, playing this week in Abu Dhabi, is a seven-time winner at Torrey Pines as a pro, including that U.S. Open. He used his length on the South Course, especially on the par 5s, and holed his share of putts.
That's been the recipe for Stanley, who has a slight build and enormous speed. He built a three-shot lead with a birdie on the second hole and was never really challenged on another glorious days along the Pacific bluffs.
His lone bogey came on the 12th, when he went just over the green, chipped to 6 feet and missed the putt. On the 526-yard 13th hole, he blasted a tee shot so far down the hill that Stanley had only a soft 7-iron into the green, putting it 15 feet below the hole on the fringe for a two-putt birdie.
"Are you playing this as a par 4?" Sang-Moon Bae turned and said to him with a smile.
John Huh, a 21-year-old rookie who spent three years on the Korean Tour, and John Rollins (Meadowbrook, VCU) each had 68 and were at 13-under 203. FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas (70) and Bae (72) were another shot behind. Bae was 5 over through five holes until he ran off four straight birdies to start the back nine to get his name back on the leaderboard.
The question is whether anyone else is in contention.
Stanley is no surprise to those who play with him or watch him hit balls, and he nearly joined the parade of rookie winners last year until Steve Stricker rallied with birdies on the last two holes to beat him in the John Deere Classic.
ABU DHABI CHAMPIONSHIP: Tiger Woods put himself in position to win his second straight tournament Saturday, and this one would leave little doubt about which direction his game is going.
He finally won two months ago against an 18-man field in California.
On Saturday, against the strongest field golf has seen in at least three months, Woods shot a 6-under 66 for a share of the lead with Robert Rock going into the final round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.
The topic suddenly shifts from the state of his swing and his health. Woods has a 55-8 record worldwide when he has at least a share of the lead going into the final round, and a win would be the first time since August 2009 that he has won consecutive starts.
Woods finished at 11-under 205. Rock, at No. 117 in the world, birdied his final two holes to join Woods in the last group along with Peter Hanson, who had a 64 and was two shots behind.
Also two back at 9-under 207 were Rory McIlroy, who played with Woods for the third straight day and had a 68, keeping the No. 3 player very much in the picture.
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