Oberholser Jumps Into Lead; Woods Falters, Singh Lurks

With an eagle to jump-start his back nine, Arron Oberholser surged past a pack of contenders and left struggling Tiger Woods far behind by posting a four-under-par 68, giving him a one-shot lead Saturday in the Wachovia Championship and another chance to win his first PGA Tour event.

Despite a three-putt bogey on the 18th hole at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C., Oberholser finished at 11-under 205, the second time this year he has gone into the final round with a chance to win.

The other occasion was at Pebble Beach, only the circumstances were much different. He was tied with Vijay Singh, the hottest player in golf, and struggled to a 76.

This time, Oberholser, 29, has the lead to himself and will play in the final group with Geoff Ogilvy, who matched the best round of the steamy afternoon with a 66 and was at 206.

Notah Begay, coming off two years of injuries and four missed cuts, shot a 69 and also was only one shot behind.

There were 20 players within six shots of the lead, and the round showed anything can happen if players are not on top of their game at Quail Hollow. No one suffered quite like Woods, who hit two balls in the water, five tee shots into the trees and was lucky to escape with a 75, leaving him five shots back.

“I fought my rear end off just to make pars,” Woods said.

Oberholser still might have to deal with Singh.

The leaderboard was so scattered that Singh was seven shots behind with two holes to play. He birdied them both to salvage a 71, and wound up four shots behind as he tries to become the first player in nearly five years to win three consecutive weeks.

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Kim Williams lost a four-stroke lead in the first 11 holes, and Cristie Kerr and Lorena Ochoa moved to the front after three rounds of the LPGA Michelob Ultra Open at Williamsburg, Va.

Kerr shot a 70 and Ochoa had her second consecutive 68, a round she preserved with a winding 40-foot putt for par on the par-four 18th. They are at seven-under 206.

“I am going to sleep much better now with that stroke,” Ochoa said.

Kerr and Ochoa accounted for two of only five rounds under par on the 6,270-yard course. Williams shot a 78 and is three shots back.

Michelle Wie struggled with her accuracy, but the 14-year-old showed a deft touch around the greens and battled for a two-over 73. She was six back at 212.

Juli Inkster and Se Ri Pak are at three under, and Annika Sorenstam is one shot back of them after a 71.

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Bob Charles, trying to become the oldest winner in Champions Tour history, shot a two-under 70 for a share of the second-round lead in the FedEx Kinko’s Classic at Austin, Texas.

The 68-year-old New Zealander matched Wayne Levi and Mark McNulty at five-under 139 on The Hills Country Club course. Levi and McNulty shot 71s.

Charles, the 1963 British Open winner who won the last of his 23 Champions Tour titles in 1996, also is trying to win a pro tournament for the sixth consecutive decade. Mike Fetchick is the oldest winner in the history of the 50-and-over circuit, taking the 1985 Hilton Head Seniors Invitational at 63.