KAUAI, Hawaii, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Tiger Woods moved halfway toward his fifth straight title in the exclusive $1 million PGA Grand Slam of Golf by shooting a 6-under-par 66 on Tuesday and opening a three-stroke lead over Justin Leonard.
PGA Championship winner Rich Beem and Davis Love III completed the field by managing par 72s over the 7,064-yard course at the Poipu Bay Golf Club.
The unofficial event normally features the winners of the four Grand Slam events. However, Woods claimed both The Masters and U.S. Open to earn a record sixth invitation here and has won the last four.
Woods is joined by Beem, who beat him by a stroke at the PGA Championship in August, and former major tournament champions Leonard and Love. British Open champion Ernie Els of South Africa skipped the event.
Woods was runner-up to Els in his first appearance at this tournament in 1997 but has won it every year since.
Just 26, Woods has claimed 11 major titles, tying him with Walter Hagen for third on the all-time list behind Jack Nicklaus (20) and Bobby Jones (13). In addition to his victories at Augusta National and Bethpage Black, Woods won the Bay Hill Invitational Buick Open and the American Express Championship.
Despite playing only 18 events, he again topped the PGA Tour money list with more than $6.9 million, bringing his career total past $33 million.
