Woods One Shot Back After 69

Jay Haas is more than willing to give Tiger Woods his due. He’s just not ready to give him another victory.

“He deserves all the attention he’s getting. He’s been the best player on our tour for the last two months,” said Haas, who shot a four-under-par 68 on Saturday for a share of the third-round lead in the Disney Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Rick Fehr, Lennie Clements and Taylor Smith joined Haas at 16-under-par 200, with Woods, the three-time U.S. Amateur champion who won the Las Vegas Invitational two weeks ago for his first pro title, a stroke back along with Payne Stewart, Ronnie Black, Mike Sullivan and Joel Edwards.

Woods shot a 69, missing a two-foot par putt on No. 18.

“No big deal. I’m still only one shot back,” said Woods, who has finished in the top five in his last four starts to climb to 34th on the money list with $518,794. “I’ve just got to go out and shoot in the low or mid 60s to win. Today I hit the ball great, I just didn’t make the putts.”

Woods is in good position to move into the top 30 on the money list, which would put him in next week’s $3-million Tour Championship at Tulsa, Okla.

Woods had an eagle and two birdies on the Magnolia course, the site of the final round. Smith shot a 64 on the Lake Buena Vista course, ranked the PGA Tour’s easiest last year. Clements had a 66 at Magnolia, and Fehr shot a 70 at the Palm. Haas also played the Palm.

Stewart shot 70, Black 69, Sullivan 66 and Edwards 64.

The final round promises to be a wide-open sprint. Twenty-five players are within four shots of the four leaders.

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While Ernie Els got most of the afternoon off, Fiji’s Vijay Singh worked overtime to join the South African star in the final of the World Match Play Championship at Virginia Water, England.

Els, undefeated in three appearances in the tournament, routed PGA champion Mark Brooks, 10 and 8. Two hours later, Singh finished off British Open winner Tom Lehman on the 37th hole.

“I have another 36 holes to play tomorrow, and I know I’ve got to play really well,” said Els, who rallied from 6-down Friday to beat Steve Stricker. “But I’m happy I can take the rest of this afternoon off.”

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Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam shot a three-under-par 69 to take a one-stroke lead over South Korea’s Park Se-ri after the third round of the World Championship of Women’s Golf at Seoul.

Sorenstam, the defending champion in the 16-player tournament, had a 12-under 204 total on the 6,377-yard Ildong Lake Golf Course. Park, the leading money winner on the Korean tour, shot a 70.

Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson was five back after a 70, and Australian rookie Karrie Webb (70) and Val Skinner followed at 210.

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Jim Colbert, continuing his season-long assault on the Senior PGA Tour, shot a four-under-par 68 and held a two-stroke lead over Butch Baird at the Gold Rush Classic at El Dorado Hills, Calif.

Colbert, who has four victories and is second this season on the money list with nearly $1.4 million, had two eagles, including a 35-foot putt on the 13th hole, en route to his nine-under-par 135 total at Serrano Country Club.

Colbert needed both eagles as Baird, 60, shot a course-record 64 on the 6,772-yard layout with eight birdies and no bogeys. He is alone in second place after his opening-round 73.

A non-winner on the senior tour since 1989, Baird’s round was one stroke off his career best and eclipsed the previous course mark of 66 set by Jack Kiefer during the rainy and cold opening round.