Singh weathers winds to surge ahead

Singh stood seven-under par through 14 holes, three strokes ahead of David Duval, four atop South Africa’s Ernie Els and clubhouse leader Loren Roberts and five in front of Phil Mickelson.

A third round that seemed as if it might never end for Singh and seven others in the top 10, who must finish early today before the final round, thanks to a thunderstorm that suspended play for two hours.

Top-ranked Woods and 1997 PGA Championship winner Davis Love, playing early before breezes became brutal, fired a four-under par 68 each to stand with Canada’s Mike Weir at one-under 215, a shot ahead of Zimbabwe’s Nick Price.

"The wind was blowing pretty hard," Woods said. "With the wind conditions, I just wanted to play a solid round. I just wanted to get back in the tournament. I didn’t want to feel I was completely out of it. I’m not out of it."

Woods and Love will try to surpass the greatest weekend rally in Masters history, Jackie Burke’s comeback from eight strokes down in 1956. No Masters winner has been worse than 25th after 36 holes. Woods and Love shared 39th. "The flags were blowing so loud it sounded like someone shooting a gun out there," Love said. "They really got a bad break because it’s very tricky."

The 17 players who began the round below par went a combined 53-over, with Singh and Roberts the only sub-par performers. The 20 who began play after the storm delay went a combined 67 over par. Only 10 men went sub-par for 18 holes.

Gusts played havoc with the leaders, their title hopes literally gone with the wind in a slide as long and painful to watch as Greg Norman’s final-round fade here in 1996 losing to Nick Faldo.

Duval took a double bogey on the par-3 12th to fall behind Singh. "It was very nasty and difficult. It was a very difficult day," Duval said. "Under the circumstances, I feel like I have played exceptionally well."

Roberts finished at 213 after a round of 71 but blew an easy putt at the 17th for a bogey. Singh was so aggrivated he hurled a club in anger on the 11th fairway on the way to a bogey. He could see what was happening.

Price challenged but found water and a double bogey at the par-5 15th and had a bogey at 16 to finish on par 216.

American Phil Mickelson, seeking his first major crown, had five bogeys on the front nine. Germany’s Bernhard Langer, a two-time winner here, had three bogeys and a double bogey after eight holes. Steve Jones, the 1996 US Open winner, made a triple bogey at the seventh and Tom Lehman bogeyed four of the first 10 holes.

Woods made six birdies and broke 70 here for the first time since his 12-stroke victory in 1997. He ran off four birdies in a row starting at the seventh hole before the storm arrived. After the delay, Woods returned to the middle of the fairway on the hardest hole on the course, the par-4 11th, the start of famed amen corner. He parred the 11th and did the same on the 12th, which he had triple bogeyed on Thursday.

Woods then birdied the par-5 13th for third day in a row to break par for first time and two holes later, he birdied the par-5 15th to join the leaderboard for the first time.