Orlando, Fla. • Tiger Woods is one round away from returning to No. 1 in the world.
With key par saves early in his round and an eagle for the third straight day at Bay Hill, Woods seized control Saturday with a 6-under 66 to race by Justin Rose and build a two-shot lead going into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Woods was at 11-under 205, two shots ahead of Rickie Fowler (67), John Huh (71) and Rose, who at one point was six shots ahead of Woods. Rose had a 39 on the back nine and wound up with a 72.
Woods hasn't been No. 1 in the world ranking since the last week of October 2010. That can change Sunday with a victory on a Bay Hill course where he already has won seven times, and from a position where he hardly ever loses. Woods is 41-2 on the PGA Tour when he has the outright lead going into the final round.
Rose had a three-shot lead on the back nine until he crumbled, making three bogeys over the last six holes.
Fowler dropped only one shot on a muggy day with a short burst of showers, closing with a par from the back bunker on the 18th. The last time Fowler and Woods were paired together in the final round was at the Memorial, where Woods closed with a 67 to win and Fowler had an 84.
Woods, who already had won twice this year, has a clearer vision of what he's doing and where the ball is going. He surged ahead with a 6-iron into 12 feet on the 15th for birdie, and another 6-iron into 20 feet on the 16th for an eagle that put him atop the leaderboard. He can tie a PGA Tour record for most victories at one tournament. Sam Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open eight times.
LPGA
Beatriz Recari drove the green on the 285-yard 16th hole to set up a 4-foot eagle putt and finished with a 3-under 69 for a two-stroke lead in the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.
Champions Tour
Corey Pavin birdied his first six holes and finished with a 5-under 67 to join Bernhard Langer, Roger Chapman and Joe Daley atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Champions Tour's Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic in Saucier, Miss.
Leaderboard
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Tiger Woods -11
Rickie Fowler -9
John Huh -9
Justin Rose -9