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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 12:13 p.m., Saturday, March 15, 2008

Golf: Woods, four others tied for Palmer lead

By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer

ORLANDO, Fla. — Two spectacular shots allowed Tiger Woods to get into the mix today at Bay Hill. What followed was a series of spectacular crashes that put him in a five-way tie for the lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

When a zany, windy and splash-filled afternoon finally ended, Woods was in a familiar position as he tries to extend a winning streak that stretches back to September. He shot a 4-under 66 and will be in the final pairing Sunday with Sean O'Hair, who won last week at Innisbrook and shot the best round of the week with a 63.

They were at 6-under 204, joined by Bart Bryant (68), Bubba Watson (68) and Vijay Singh, whose 73 made this all possible.

Singh had a two-shot lead and showed no signs of a struggle until dropping five shots in a four-hole stretch in his front nine of 40. Singh might have been even worse off except for holing out a 30-foot chip for par after hitting into the water on the 16th.

It was the largest log jam in the 30-year history at Bay Hill, and the largest on the PGA Tour since a five-way tie at the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta in 2005, where the final round was rained out and it turned into a five-man playoff.

Woods was only lurking at 4 under and didn't figure to gain any ground over the final four holes, two of them into 20 mph gusts, the final three with water fronting the green.

But he carved a 4-iron around the trees to 2 feet on the 15th, then hit a 7-iron that held up against the wind and dropped 3 feet right of the flag. That gave him birdies on the two toughest holes of the third round, and it put him in the final pairing for the fifth straight time on the PGA Tour.

"I've played my way back into the tournament," Woods said.

This was two hours before the leaders finished, and all he could hope for Sunday was a chance. Now he has an excellent opportunity, although this tournament is wide open.

Woods is 42-3 when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, but two of those three losses came when he shared the lead with someone else. He has never started a final round tied with more than one player.