Weir challenge for Woods

Woods and Weir will be paired in the final group in the Chicago Suburbs for the second time in two months. Woods won the Western Open in nearby Lemont on July 4. Weir settled for his best PGA finish, second. 8220;I enjoy being in a position where everyone is trying to beat me,8221; Woods said. 8220;If you have a lead, you have a cushion. Others have to shoot that much better in order to catch you.8221;

Woods and Weir were at 11-under par 205 after 54 holes here at Medinah Country Club, handling the second-longest course in major golf history as if its 7,401 yards were a stroll through the trees.

Woods haswon seven titles in a row when leading entering the final round, including the 1987 Masters by a record 12 shots. His only PGA loss when ahead after 54 holes was in 1996 when Ed Fiori overtook the rookie at the Quad Cities Classic.

That doesn8217;t mean Weir won8217;t try, as he did when trailing Woods by four shots in their earlier meeting before losing by only one.

Weir eagled the par-five 14th and sank an eight-foot birdie at the par-three 17th to fire a 69 and stay level with Woods, two strokes ahead of American Stewart Cink and 19-year-old Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who can become the youngest Major champion in 131 years if he can pass Woods.

Sharing fifth at 210 were Zimbabwe8217;s Nick Price and Americans Jay Haas, Jim Furyk and Skip Kendall. No other player was less than seven strokes off the lead. Only Price among Woods8217; 12 nearest rivals has won a major title.Woods began the day third in the 3.5 million event but sank short birdie putts at par-five fifth and seventh as well as a 50-foot birdie putt from offthe green at the sixth. A three-foot birdie at the seventh matched him for the lead with weir, who left Woods alone at the top with a birdie on the ninth.

Woods birdied the 11th but gave back the stroke bymissing a tap-in par putt on the par-three 13th, his first bogey in 26 holes. He recovered and missed an eagle by inches on the 14th on a blast from a bunker. World number one David Duval could not fight his way intoa showdown with Woods, firing a par 72 to stand at 213. Senior pga star Hale Irwin faded from contention with a 78 to stand at 217.

Mark Brooks, the 1996 pga Championship winner, aced thepar-three 17th hole with a 3-iron from 206 yards to finish at 70 and stand at 213. The 29th ace in tournament history was the first since Ernie Els8217; in 1997.