August 21, 2006	Monday	Rajab 25, 1427

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MEDINAH (Illinois), Aug 20: Tiger Woods and Luke Donald tied for the lead at 14 under par after a birdie barrage at rain-softened Medinah in the PGA Championship on Saturday.

World number one Woods, seeking his second successive major after winning the British Open, fired a seven-under-par 65, and Donald posted a bogey-free 66 to set up a showdown in Sunday's final round.

Canadian Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, also shot a course-record tying 65 and was in third place at 12-under 204, one shot better than US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia, who posted a 68 after starting with a double bogey.

With Medinah's greens made even more receptive by Friday's late rain, players were taking dead aim at the flags and birdies came by the bucket load.

Nineteen players scored in the 60s as approach shots stuck on the greens like darts.

Four strokes off the pace were Spaniard Sergio Garcia, runner-up to Woods at the 1999 PGA at Medinah, and 2003 PGA winner Shaun Micheel, who both shot 67s. Another shot back was KC Choi of South Korea after a 67.

Weir was especially accurate in his target shooting, sticking several approaches close enough to kick in.

At one point 10 players were tied for the lead at eight-under before Donald emerged from the pack with an impeccable outward half, his chip-in at the ninth giving him his fifth birdie of the day.

Woods rolled in a 30-foot putt to save par after a wild drive at the first before joining the birdie parade at the second, fifth, seventh and ninth holes.

A string of three birdies in a row from the 13th enabled Woods to leapfrog Donald.

Woods began his surge when he hit his tee-shot pin high at the 244-yard par-three 13th and rolled in an eight-footer.

At the 605-yard par-five 14th, Woods splashed out of a bunker to two feet and made his birdie putt.

On the next hole Woods knocked his approach shot out of a fairway divot to within four feet of the cup and made it to take the lead for the first time.

Donald had seven successive pars after his chip-in at nine then drew level with Woods at 14-under after hitting his tee shot to two feet at the 197-yard, par-three 17th.

Third round scores:

202 – Tiger Woods (US) 69, 68, 65; Luke Donald (Britain) 68, 68, 66.

204 – Mike Weir (Canada) 72, 67, 65.

205 – Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 69, 68, 68.

206 – Sergio Garcia (Spain) 69, 70, 67; Shaun Micheel (US) 69, 70, 67.

207 – K.J. Choi (South Korea) 73, 67, 67.

208 – Phil Mickelson (US) 69, 71, 68; Chris DiMarco (US) 71, 70, 67; Ian Poulter (Britain) 70, 70, 68; Tim Herron (US) 69, 67, 72.

209 – David Toms (US) 71, 67, 71; Adam Scott (Australia) 71, 69, 69; J.B. Holmes (US) 71, 70, 68; Woody Austin (US) 71, 69, 69; Steve Stricker (US) 72, 67, 70; Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 68, 68, 73.

210 – Harrison Frazar (US) 69, 72, 69; Ryan Moore (US) 71, 72, 67; Davis Love III (US) 68, 69, 73.

211 – Retief Goosen (South Africa) 70, 73, 68; Jim Furyk (US) 70, 72, 69; Billy Mayfair (US) 69, 69, 73; Chris Riley (US) 66, 72, 73.

212 – Steve Flesch (US) 72, 71, 69; Sean O'Hair (US) 72, 70, 70; Lee Westwood (Britain) 69, 72, 71; Fred Funk (US) 69, 69, 74.

213 – Anders Hansen (Denmark) 72, 71, 70; Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 71, 73, 69; Robert Allenby (Australia) 68, 74, 71; Justin Rose (Britain) 73, 70, 70; Ernie Els (South Africa) 71, 70, 72.

214 – Billy Andrade (US) 67, 69, 78; Tim Clark (South Africa) 70, 69, 75; Olin Browne (US) 75, 66, 73; Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 73, 71, 70; Kenny Perry (US) 72, 71, 71; J.J. Henry (US) 68, 73, 73.

215 – Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 72, 67, 76; Jonathan Byrd (US) 69, 72, 74; Graeme McDowell (Britain) 75, 68, 72; Heath Slocum (US) 73, 70, 72; Ryan Palmer (US) 70, 73, 72; Corey Pavin (US) 72, 71, 72; Stewart Cink (US) 68, 74, 73; Richard Green (Australia) 73, 69, 73; David Howell (Britain) 71, 71, 73; Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 72, 68, 75.

216 – Nathan Green (Australia) 71, 71, 74; Rich Beem (US) 75, 69, 72.

217 – Lucas Glover (US) 66, 74, 77; Joey Sindelar (US) 74, 70, 73; Ben Curtis (US) 72, 72, 73; Jay Haas (US) 75, 68, 74; Stephen Ames (Canada) 74, 69, 74.

218 – Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 70, 73, 75; Jerry Kelly (US) 70, 74, 74; Dean Wilson (US) 74, 70, 74; Chad Campbell (US) 71, 72, 75; Bob Tway (US) 72, 71, 75; Jason Gore (US) 70, 73, 75; Steve Lowery (US) 70, 72, 76.

219 – Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 70, 74, 75.

220 – Don Yrene (US) 71, 72, 77; Charles Warren (US) 73, 70, 77.

221 – Jeff Maggert (US) 75, 68, 78.

222 – Stuart Appleby (Australia) 70, 73, 79; Hideto Tanihara (Japan) 73, 71, 78; Jim Kane (US) 71, 71, 80.—Reuters