THE PLAYERS: Third-round notebook

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Sergio Garcia, one of six past champions to have made the cut, finished Saturday down in a tie for 55th place.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Alex Cejka, 66-67-72=205 (-11), enters the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship with a 5-shot lead, the first time in his career he holds a 54-hole outright lead. Prior to this week, Cejka's best position entering a final round on the PGA TOUR was a share of the lead at the 2001 British Open.

• His 5-stroke lead entering the final round is the largest 54-hole lead in tournament history, bettering a 4-stroke advantage by Greg Norman in 1994 and Larry Mize in 1986.

• Cejka has teed off in the final round of a PGA TOUR event in the final two groups four previous times. He was tied for first at the 2001 British Open and tied for 13th; was tied for second at the 2003 B.C. Open and tied for second; was tied for second at the 2008 Stanford St. Jude Championship and tied for fourth; and was tied for fourth at the 2006 John Deere Classic and tied for third.

• The third-round leader/co-leader has won 14 of 18 events (78 percent) on the PGA TOUR this season. Last year, the third-round leader/co-leader only won 22 of 46 events (48 percent).

• In the last 10 PLAYERS Championships, only Stephen Ames (2006), Adam Scott (2004), Hal Sutton (2000) and David Duval (1999) have managed to turn a 54-hole lead into victory. Since THE PLAYERS moved to TPC Sawgrass in 1982, the third-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win 11 of 27 times (41 percent).

• Should Cejka go on to victory, he would be the fifth international player in the last eight years to win THE PLAYERS and only the second player in tournament history to make THE PLAYERS his first PGA TOUR win (joining Craig Perks, 2002).

• Henrik Stenson, 68-69-73=210 (-6), is 5 shots off the lead following a third-round 1-over-par 73. Like Cejka, Stenson is vying to become the fifth international champion at THE PLAYERS in the last eight years and the 10th in tournament history.

• Stenson is also looking for his first PGA TOUR victory in a stroke-play event. His only PGA TOUR victory to date came at the 2007 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. Stenson's best PGA TOUR finish in a stroke-play event is a tie for third, accomplished four previous times, including the 2006 PLAYERS. Those ties for third came at the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship, the 2006 PLAYERS Championship, 2008 British Open and 2009 Shell Houston Open.

• Stenson's tie for second entering the final round matches his career-best 54-hole standing, previously accomplished at the 2008 PGA Championship.

• Tiger Woods, 71-69-70=210 (-6), after shooting a 2-under-par 70 in the third round, enters the final round tied for second at 6 under par, five shots behind leader Cejka. That deficit equals the same margin he came back from to claim his only victory of 2009 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

• This week marks the first time Woods has produced three-consecutive sub-par rounds at THE PLAYERS since the final three rounds in 2001 when he went on to win.

• His tie for second entering the final round is his best standing since 2001 when he was also tied for second.

• Woods posted 17 of 18 rounds at par or better in 2009. His lone over-par round was a third-round 71 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

• In 63 career stroke-play wins, Woods has come from behind after 54 holes to win 19 times. Earlier this season, Woods was five strokes behind Sean O'Hair entering the final round before winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He also overcame a five-stroke at the 2000 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (see attached chart). The biggest come-from-behind win in PLAYERS history was six shots by Raymond Floyd in 1981 (he was tied for 12th).

• Woods has played the 16th hole in 39 under par for his career at THE PLAYERS, including a birdie in the third round and an eagle on Thursday. His next-best hole is the par-5 second, which he has played at 24 under in 47 rounds, including a birdie Saturday.

• Retief Goosen, 67-72-71=210 (-6), following a third-round 1-under-par 71, enters the final round five shots behind leader Cejka. Goosen's best finish in 10 previous appearances at THE PLAYERS is a solo second in 2006.

• Goosen notched his seventh PGA TOUR victory earlier this year with a one-shot victory at the Transitions Championship in Tampa, Fla. He also produced a solo third at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and is currently 11th in the FedExCup rankings with 852 points.

• Ian Poulter, 67-68-75=210 (-6), enters the final round tied for second at 6 under par following a 3-over-par 75 in Saturday's third round.

• Like Cejka, with a victory Poulter would become just the second player in tournament history to make THE PLAYERS his first PGA TOUR victory, joining Perks in 2002. Also like Cejka, a victory would make Poulter the fifth international winner at THE PLAYERS since 2002.

• Poulter's previous best standing through 54 holes was solo fourth at the 2007 HP Byron Nelson Championship, where he finished tied for third. His best PGA TOUR finishes are solo second at the 2008 British Open and a tie for second at the 2006 WGC-American Express Championship.

• Three of the last four winners of THE PLAYERS, Sergio Garcia (2008), Stephen Ames (2006) and Fred Funk (2005), all ranked either first or tied for first in both greens in regulation and driving accuracy. Should Cejka go on to win, he would be the fourth champion out of the last five as he is tied for first in driving accuracy. He has hit 35 of 42 fairways through three rounds.

• Defending champion Garcia posted a third-round 1-over-par 73 and is tied for 55th entering the final round after scores of 71-73-73 (+1).

• Garcia is one of six past champions who qualified for the weekend in 2009, led by 2001 champion Woods who is tied for second at 6 under par.

• Woody Austin and Kenny Perry both made Friday's cut on the number and then carded 4-under-par 68s, the lowest scores of the day, on Saturday.

• Jason Bohn recorded an eagle on the 449-yard, par-4 15th, his first of the 2009 season, holing his second shot from 148 yards. The eagle was the second of the week on No. 15 after Scott Verplank holed his second shot from 141 yards in the first round and only the fourth on No. 15 since THE PLAYERS moved to TPC Sawgrass in 1982.

• Woods and Daniel Chopra played together on Saturday and both recorded birdies on the par-3 No. 17. They were one of five third-round pairings where both players recorded birdies on No. 17. The other pairings were Luke Donald/Billy Mayfair (7:55 a.m.), Phil Mickelson/Dustin Johnson (9:15 a.m.), Fredrik Jacobson/Ben Curtis (10:05 a.m) and Charley Hoffman/Kevin Sutherland (12:55 p.m.).

• Cejka, Chopra and Brian Davis lead the field with 17 birdies through 54 holes.

• Nine first-time participants (and two rookies) made the 36-hole cut at this year's PLAYERS Championship. In the 35-year history of THE PLAYERS, Jack Nicklaus (1974), Hal Sutton (1983) and Perks (2002) are the only players to win the tournament in their first attempt.

• TPC Sawgrass played substantially more difficult as the third round unfolded, yielding only five sub-70 scores on the day and none after the 10:05 a.m. starting time when Ben Curtis carded a 3-under-69. No player in the final eight groups of the afternoon produced a sub-par round, only Ben Crane and Cejka posted rounds of even-par 72.

• The famous island green par-3 No. 17 is playing to an average of 2.940 through the first three rounds, the first time it's played under par for the week since 1997 when it played to an average of 2.952.

• A total of four balls were hit in the water off of the tee on the famed 17th hole on Saturday, which is the fewest in the third round since 2004 and the fewest total (24) in the first three rounds since 2004.

• The Birdies for Charity program annually leads up to THE PLAYERS Championship and allows the community to support local charities through tracking the exciting, high-level of play during the tournament. Similar to a walk-a-thon, Birdies for Charity participants make a pledge to a local organization for each birdie made by professional golfers during THE PLAYERS. A record 68 local organizations are participating this year, up from 51 in 2008 and a strong indication that the generosity of First Coast residents will allow for a record fundraising effort. Through three rounds, the players have made 1,285 for $166,230.50.