WGC CADILLAC CHAMPIONSHIP MIAMI

 

Tiger Woods enters the final round of the WGC Cadillac Championship with a four shot lead after finishing on a 67.

The World No 2 was unstoppable on the greens  greens as he played on towards a seventh career victory at Doral - Woods made a further seven birdies on Saturday to take his total for the tournament to an incredible 24.

 Graeme McDowell remains the  closest challenger as he carded a 69 to finish on 14-under-par, one clear of Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker who also posted 69s to remain just about in the hunt.

A group of four players are gathered some seven shots off the pace at 11-under; Sergio Garcia (67), Michael Thompson (67), Charl Schwartzel (69) and Keegan Bradley (69).

At one point McDowell did actually draw level with Woods as he made a great start to his round, the 2010 US Open champion eagled the first and then followed a birdie at three with another at six to join his playing partner at 15-under as Woods made a rare bogey at the same hole.

But Woods re-established his lead as he recovered from a wayward drive to make birdie at the par-five eighth and extended it by doing the same at the long tenth hole.

McDowell, who had gone 46 holes without dropping a shot, then suffered something of a wobble as he followed his first bogey of the week at 11 with a careless double at 14 to gift Woods a five-shot advantage.

He pulled it together  and chipped in from just off the green at the 16th to reclaim second spot from Mickelson and Stricker and was given further encouragement when Woods dropped a shot at 17 after his tee-shot lodged up a tree.

But it was Woods who had the last word, rolling in a confident ten-foot putt at 18 to extend his advantage and the 37-year-old will now be an overwhelming favourite to clinch the 76th PGA Tour title of his career on Sunday.

World No 1 Rory McIlroy overcame a poor start to post a one-under-par round of 71 that leaves him well down the field at three-under overall.

The Northern Irishman bogeyed the third and dropped two shots at the fourth, but would go on to produce five birdies in the space of six holes on his back nine to repair the damage, although he signed off with a bogey on 18 for the second day running.