Long-Sought Victory Is in Woods’ Sights After He Shoots a 63

Tiger Woods took a major step toward ending the longest winless streak of his PGA Tour career, shooting a nine-under-par 63 Saturday to take a three-shot lead after the third round of the BellSouth Classic in Duluth, Ga.

“All I want is a victory,” he said.

Woods equaled the best round of his two-year career and is threatening to run away from the field with a 17-under 199 total heading into today’s final round.

“I have hit the ball better and putted better,” Woods said, referring to his play this year. “But I’ve never had them both together. Today, I hit it good and putted well.”

Woods actually was 11 under for the day, shooting a 34 in the morning to finish his final nine holes of the second round. After two days of rain and fog, it was hazy and humid when Woods started his afternoon round one shot behind co-leaders Jay Don Blake and Craig Parry.

With a huge crowd following his every step around the 7,259-yard TPC at Sugarloaf course, Woods started slowly, missing three birdie putts of no more than 12 feet.

But he got things rolling at the par-five fifth, hitting a two-iron to within 15 feet and dropping the eagle putt. Woods then seized the lead with three consecutive birdies.

After winning six of his first 21 PGA events, it has been 10 months since Woods held a winner’s trophy in America, at the Western Open in July.

Blake was three shots behind after a 67 and Stewart Cink trailed by four after a 65. Parry faded out of contention with a 72.

Georgia Tech sophomore Matt Kuchar, continuing the impressive play he showed in the Masters, is at six under.

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Jim Dent’s aggressive play cost him the outright lead in the second round of the Home Depot Invitational when his second shot to the par-five 18th hole found the water, forcing him to settle for bogey and a share of the lead at nine-under 135 with Englishman John Morgan.

Dent carded a four-under 68 on his 59th birthday, and Morgan had a 67. They are two shots ahead of Graham Marsh (69) and Frank Conner (67).

“You have to put that out of the way and go about your business,” Dent said of his bogey at the last hole. “I was trying to get more . . . and you know.”

Before his four-wood shot into the lake from 204 yards, the defending champion had been 15 under on the par fives in his last five rounds at the 6,774-yard TPC at Piper Glen course in Charlotte, N.C.

Dent’s second shot on No. 18 may be even more costly if today’s final-round weather forecast holds up. Heavy rain is expected to soak an already wet golf course.

Dent said he was unaware Morgan had birdied three holes in a row and had closed to within one stroke when he played his final hole in the last group.

“You can’t play the scoreboard, you’ve got to play the golf course,” Dent said. “But I guess I went to sleep.”

The Senior Tour received a scare when Doug Sanders, 64, was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital after experiencing dizziness during his round. The two-time British Open runner-up was given medication and later released and told to rest, a tour spokesman said. Sanders was expected to play the final round.

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Jenny Lidback tied the course record with a nine-under 63, and Rachel Hetherington had a 68 as they shared a one-stroke lead at the Sara Lee Classic in Nashville.

Lidback, who tied Amy Benz’s record set in 1992, turned in the lowest round of her career by stringing together nine birdies with no bogeys for a 135 total.

Barb Mucha (69), Marianne Morris (67) and Dottie Pepper (64) were a stroke back at 136. Nancy Lopez (71) and Tracy Hanson (64) were at 137.

With the lift, clean and place rule already in effect to compensate for the soggy Hermitage Golf Course, 87 players wound up making the cut at one-under 143 as the winds died down. Defending champion Terry-Jo Myers (151) was among those missing the cut.

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Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a two-under 70 to take a two-stroke lead after three rounds of the Turespana Masters in Calvia, Spain.

Jimenez has a 207 total, two shots ahead of fellow Spaniards Miguel Angel Martin, who shot a 70, and Santiago Luna, who shot a 72.