he public has been pining for a final-round showdown between Tiger Woods and Anthony Kim. On Sunday, they'll get it when the two square off together in the final round of the $6 million AT&T National at Congressional Country Club.
It will mark the first-ever PGA Tour pairing of the top-ranked and tournament host Woods with the defending champion Kim, who has been slowed by a thumb injury this year. Both have 10-under-par scores of 200 -- Woods shooting an even-par 70 on Saturday and Kim registering a 68.
"I'm looking forward to it," said Kim, who fired a course-record 62 on Thursday. "This is a day I've been dreaming about for a while."
However, 10 players lurk within four shots of the lead, and Woods knows there is a lot of golf left to played.
"I'm just looking forward to taking the family and watching fireworks tonight, and then getting reset tomorrow for the round," he said. "That's when I'll get fired up."
Woods started the third round with a one-stroke advantage over Rod Pampling and jumped out to a three-shot cushion with a long eagle putt at the par-5 ninth. However, for the third consecutive day, he stumbled at the tough par-4 11th hole. After making bogey the first two rounds, he doubled the hole on Saturday.
"It was a tough day," said Woods. "One of those things you just had to grind it out and get through it. There were a lot of lag putts. I just never had a whole lot of birdie chances."
Paired with Pampling on a mostly sunny day, Woods bogeyed the par-4 first hole, pulling his drive into the left rough. He steadied with four straight pars, then slipped up again at the par-4 sixth. His second shot covered the flag but bounced over the back of the green, and he was unable to get up-and-down, lipping out from just inside five feet.
Woods gave himself a good birdie chance at the par-4 seventh, but missed from six feet. At the par-4 eighth, Woods hit a big drive and knocked a sand wedge eight feet, only this time, he buried the birdie putt.
Following a 367-yard drive at the par-5 ninth, Woods hit a towering 3-iron 25 feet below the cup and poured in the eagle attempt.
A poor drive into the left rough triggered his trouble at No. 11. Woods hit his second shot in a greenside bunker, hit his third in another bunker, blasted seven feet from the hole and missed his bogey putt.
Woods parred the next four holes, then flushed a big drive at the par-5 16th and flagged a 4-iron from 227 yards that came up just short of the green and trickled down a steep slope. He easily two-putted for a birdie.
Woods parred the last three holes and is looking forward to Sunday.
On the day, Woods hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation. He is tied for second in that statistic this week at 78 percent. He also ranks fourth in driving distance at 314 yards.
After two solid putting rounds, Woods used 32 on Saturday.
In the past, Woods has been tough when tied or leading a PGA Tour event after 54 holes, winning 45 of 48 times. He's also trying to become the second player hosting a PGA Tour event to win after Jack Nicklaus accomplished the feat twice at the Memorial Tournament (1977, '84).
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