Tiny Tanaka Is Standing Tall in Spain

Little-known Japanese Hidemichi Tanaka put some of golf’s biggest names behind him, shooting a two-under-par 70 Saturday for a one-stroke lead after three rounds of the American Express Championship at Sotogrande, Spain.

Tanaka, 29, a two-time winner on the Japan Tour this season, was nine under overall at 207 and one shot ahead of Canadian Mike Weir (65) and Mark Calcavecchia (69).

Tiger Woods (69) and Zimbabwe’s Nick Price (74), the leader for the first two rounds, were two strokes off the pace in the chase for the $1-million winner’s share in this season-ending tournament.

Woods, who had landed his ball in the pond guarding the green at the par-five 17th at Valderrama in three consecutive rounds, reached the putting surface in two Saturday and managed a birdie. After the fairway shot, he took a deep bow and swept his right hand under his waist with his cap in hand, breaking into a huge smile.

“I was able to grind myself around the golf course and get myself in position to win the tournament,” Woods said.

Tanaka was not to be outdone. He hit his third shot over the pond to a foot, then duplicated Woods’ cap-in-hand bow. Then he tugged on his shirt to indicate a pounding heart.

“That’s to tell everybody I’m so nervous and scared,” said the 5-foot-5, 135-pound Tanaka, who had joked after Friday’s round that his big goal was to get Woods’ autograph.

“Amazing. I’m surprised to be in this position. I hope I can play good so everybody knows my name.”

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Vicente Fernandez continued his roll in the Chrysler Senior Match Play Challenge at Dorado, Puerto Rico, beating John Jacobs, 4 and 3, to advance to the semifinals.

Fernandez, who ousted defending champion Larry Nelson on Friday, will meet Ray Floyd today. Leonard Thompson opposes Lanny Wadkins in the other semifinal, with the title match later today.

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The career of 1998 U.S. Amateur champion Hank Kuehne is in jeopardy after surgery on his left arm and elbow last week, his father says.

Surgeons moved Kuehne’s left biceps tendon, which was irritating a nerve, then cut the ulnar nerve and moved it from the bottom side of the left elbow to the forearm side.

“It’s a career-threatening injury. It’s a major setback,” Ernie Kuehne said.