Chevron World Challenge: Third-round notebook

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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Anthony Kim tied the low round of the day on Saturday with a 5-under 67 in Round 3to take a one-stroke lead over Jim Furyk into Sunday's final round. ...

• Whether holding the 54-hole lead or trailing, Kim has proven he knows how to win. In his first victory, the 2008 Wachovia Championship, he improved on a four-stroke third-round lead to win by five strokes. At the AT&T National, however, he began the final round tied for sixth, trailing by two strokes. He won at Congressional by two. ...

• The 54-hole lead at the Wachovia Championship is the only previous 54-hole lead Kim has ever held. ...

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The 18th hole has vexed Jim Furyk in each of the last two rounds.

• Should Kim go on to win the 2008 Chevron World Challenge, he would become just the third player in the history of the event to win in his first start here. Tom Lehman first achieved the feat in 2000 at the inaugural World Challenge at Grayhawk GC. Luke Donald won in his first start here at Sherwood CC in 2005. ...

• First- and second-round leader Furyk had another mishap at the par-4 18th in Round 3, ultimately costing him the lead. A blocked shot to the right left him facing a side-hill lie from the rough. After his approach shot found the water, Furyk was unable to get up and down to save bogey, thus dropping him from 9 under to 7 under. He trails Kim by one. ...

• Through three rounds this week, Furyk has yet to make a par at 18. In Round 1, he birdied the par 4. In Round 2, he made bogey, and Round 3 cost him two strokes with the double bogey. ...

• If history is any indication, the fact that Furyk is NOT holding the lead could prove beneficial for him, as he has never led wire-to-wire en route to any of his 13 PGA TOUR victories. ...

• Coming off a benign even-par 72 in Round 2, Vijay Singh rebounded in Round 3 with a 5-under 67, highlighted by an eagle-2 at the par-5 13th hole. With a scoring average of 69.58, Singh ranked sixth in the scoring average category on the PGA TOUR in 2008. ...

• History reveals that the odds are against a third-round leader hanging on Sunday for the win at Sherwood Country Club. Since 2000, only three of eight 54-hole leaders have sealed the deal. Those winners were Tiger Woods in 2007, Davis Love III in 2003 and Padraig Harrington in 2002. ...

• Scoring at Sherwood Country Club in 2008 is proving to be more difficult than in any previous year. Kim's 54-hole score of 8 under is the closest to par to date. Here are the previous leading socres through 54 holes: -18 in 2007, -11 in 2006, -14 in 2005, -13 in 2004, -11 in 2003, -19 in 2002, -11 in 2001 and -18 in 2000. ...

• Four players are making their Chevron World Challenge debuts this year. They are: Kim (71-70-67--208), Camilo Villegas (74-67-69--210), Hunter Mahan (71-72-70--213) and Boo Weekley (70-73-72--215). ...

• Scoring average for Round 3: 70.879. Toughest hole: Par-4 seventh (4.250). Easiest hole: Par-5 fifth (4.563).