Els Breezes at Doral for Eight-Stroke Lead

The score was so astounding in such difficult conditions that it appeared Ernie Els was playing a different game than everyone else in the Genuity Championship at Miami.

He made eight birdies Saturday, when gusts were over 30 mph. His six-under 66 was three strokes better than anyone else.

Els made a mockery of the Blue Monster at Doral and had an eight-stroke lead over Tiger Woods and Peter Lonard of Australia after three rounds.

“I enjoy competing out here and especially against the best,” Els said. “[Woods is] definitely the best out there, so hopefully I will be ready this year for him.”

Woods and Lonard each shot 70, but Lonard finished before Woods and will be paired with Els today.

Els was at 199 and had the largest 54-hole lead on tour since Woods led by nine strokes in the NEC Invitational at Firestone two years ago, when he won by 11.

Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam birdied the first hole of a playoff with Canada’s Lorie Kane to win the Takefuji Classic at Waikoloa, Hawaii.

Sorenstam closed with a four-under 66 to match Kane, the 2000 winner, at 14-under 196. Kane shot a 67.

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Australia’s Karrie Webb and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen shot three-under 69s to share the third-round lead at seven-under 209 in the Women’s Australian Open at Melbourne.

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Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth shot a two-under 69 to take a two-stroke lead at 16-under 197 over Spain’s Ignacio Garrido after the third round of the Malaysian Open at Kuala Lumpur.