GOLF Singh keeps 84 Lumber lead, sets sights on money record

He can break Tiger Woods' single-season record by finishing first .
FARMINGTON, Pa. (AP) -- Vijay Singh is making it look easy by winning tournament after tournament, and millions upon millions of dollars, while chasing Tiger Woods' single-season money record.
A slow-lifting fog and slow-moving players conspired Saturday to make for one of Singh's toughest days in weeks, yet his ability to turn bad lies into good shots helped him to an even-par 72 that kept him in the 84 Lumber Classic lead.
"I didn't play as well as I did the first two days," said Singh, who started 64-68 at the 7,471-yard Mystic Rock course.
Even when it doesn't come so easily, Singh is difficult to knock out of the lead.
Repeatedly following poor shots with exceptional ones on a day when some of his best play came merely to save par, Singh finished at 12-under 204 to lead Chris DiMarco by two shots and Jonathan Byrd and Matt Gogel by three entering today's final round.
Singh can break Woods' single-season money record of $9.1 million set in 2000 by winning the $756,000 first prize, or, if he plays in two late-season no-cut tournaments that offer guaranteed money, by finishing second.
Weather woes
Heavy fog shrouded the mountaintop resort course for the third straight morning, forcing a delay in play and the decision to go out in threesomes rather than twosomes. That meant some players, including Singh, started earlier than expected so the finish could be televised.
Play lagged all day as a result, with Singh, DiMarco and Ben Curtis needing 5 hours, 20 minutes for their round -- about 80 minutes slower than usual. That's why Singh wasn't surprised when the quality of play dropped off late in the afternoon, too.
"The pace of play was strained," Singh said. "You play the holes and then you wait 10 minutes on the next tee. ... I called it [to the attention] of the official on the 10th hole, and it didn't seem to help much."
DiMarco also disliked the pace, and the decision to play in threes.
"We would have finished before [Friday's ending time] easily in twosomes," he said. "But they wanted to get it in, and I think TV wanted a certain time, too. That was the ultimate decision."
Competition
DiMarco, one of only three U.S. team members competing after last weekend's Ryder Cup wipeout in suburban Detroit, repeatedly tried to make a move at Singh. But Singh held him off each time despite being in the 70s for only the second time in 11 rounds.
"It makes you aware you can take nothing for granted," Singh said of an uneven round that included three bogeys, two more than in his first two rounds combined. "If you're not careful, it can grab up and bite you."