LEMONT, Ill. — Tiger Woods started with a bogey. His best shot led to a par.

It turned out to be his best round of the year.

Getting better with every shot, Woods broke the course record at Cog Hill and blew away the field yesterday in the BMW Championship with a 9-under 62 that gave him a seven-shot lead.

"After I got past the first hole I was doing all right," said Woods, who offset the bogey with eight birdies and an eagle. "It was one of those days that kind of built upon itself."

Brandt Snedeker finished with four straight birdies for a 66 and will play with Woods for the first time today. He could probably think of better circumstances.

"I've got to do something spectacular," Snedeker said, "and he's got to maybe have a heart attack out there for me to have a chance."

Marc Leishman had a two-shot lead when he made the turn. Could he have imagined shooting 1 over on the back nine and finding himself seven shots behind?

"You wouldn't think so," he said. "But like I say, it's Tiger."

The 62 tied the tournament record — an event that dates to 1899 — set last year by Jim Furyk at Bellerive outside St. Louis.

A course renovated by Rees Jones with hopes of landing a U.S. Open was no match for Woods, who was nearly nine shots better than the field, which averaged 70.71.

Woods was at 16-under 197 and had his largest lead on the PGA Tour since he was eight shots in front in the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines early last year. He wound up winning by eight shots.

It will be Woods' first 54-hole lead since the PGA Championship last month at Hazeltine, where Y.E. Yang made up a two-shot deficit and became the first player to beat Woods from behind in a major.

Woods will be going for his sixth victory of the year and his fifth at Cog Hill today, which would put him atop the FedEx Cup standings going to the Tour Championship in two weeks.

For everyone else, it's a matter of getting there.

Seven players among the top 10 are currently outside the top 30 required to get into East Lake.

EUROPEAN PGA

SWEDE HANSON LEADS IN MERCEDES-BENZ

Peter Hanson of Sweden leads three players by one stroke at the Mercedes-Benz Championship after shooting a 5-under 67 in the third round at Cologne, Germany.

Hanson was at 11-under 205 after beginning the round three shots behind Scott Strange of Australia and Chris Wood of England. Hanson is trying to give Sweden its third straight victory on the European Tour.

Simon Dyson of England (68), Soren Hansen of Denmark (70) and James Kingston of South Africa (70) are at 206.

WALKER CUP

FOWLER LEADS U.S. TO 8-4 LEAD AFTER ONE DAY

The United States has taken an 8-4 lead over Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup behind the strong play of Rickie Fowler. The Americans are trying to win this event a third straight time.

Fowler enjoyed two lopsided victories yesterday and the Americans won three singles matches and halved four others at Merion Golf Club at Ardmore, Pa. The U.S. opened with a 3-1 win in alternate-shot matches in the morning.

Four alternate-shot matches and 10 singles are scheduled for today. The U.S. leads the series 33-7-1.