KAPALUA, Hawaii, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Scott Verplank and Kenny Perry shared the lead after three rounds of the Mercedes Championship Saturday on a day that Tiger Woods suffered through a second straight over-par round.
Other than in major championships, it marked the first time since March of 1999 that Woods had played two consecutive rounds without at least matching par.
Gusting winds again made the Plantation Course at Kapalua Bay Resort a difficult test with Robert Damron shooting an 85, Steve Stricker a 79 and U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen a 77.
Verplank battled back from a double bogey at the par-4 14th to fire a 3-under 70 and share the lead with Perry at 13-under 206. Perry shot a 71.
Chris DiMarco and David Toms were at 12-under 207 while Mark Calcavecchia was alone in fifth at 209. Sergio Garcia and David Duval were at 210 -- four shots off the pace heading into the final round of the opening event of the year on the PGA Tour.
Woods, who triple bogeyed the opening hole on Friday, double bogeyed the same hole Saturday and eventually shot his second straight 74 for a 3-under 216 total. Woods failed to shoot par two days in a row last year at the U.S. Open and he did so as well in the 1999 U.S. Open and British Open.
But in a non-major event, he had not done so since the 1999 Players Championship -- a span of almost three full years.
