With Tiger in trail, Padraig knows he faces tough task Sunday

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Tiger Woods is gunning for a seventh title at Firestone South.

AKRON, Ohio -- Coaches are always telling players to let the game come to you.

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That's exactly what Tiger Woods did on Saturday during the third round of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. And in the space of six holes, that game changed considerably at Firestone Country Club.

With the four birdies Woods poured in during that homeward stretch what had been shaping up as a pedestrian performance became a sprint to the finish line. His third-round 65 lifted him from a tie for 13th into solo second, three behind Padraig Harrington.

The dramatic shift in momentum was palpable on a damp and dreary day at the South Course with every pinpoint wedge that spun back closer to the hole. Woods, though, was philosophical as he sized up the afternoon's events.

"You just let it come to you, let it happen," he explained. "... You keep plodding along, keep playing, keep putting the ball in correct position. If do you that on each and every hole you're going to have the opportunity to make putts.

"You keep doing that here and there, all of a sudden you move up the board. You start forcing a few things, on a golf course like this you're going to pay the price, and it's hard to get it back. It's hard to make a lot of birdies here."

Of course, Woods, as is his custom, made it look easy, as he took just 23 putts. And now he has a chance to capture a phenomenal seventh Bridgestone Invitational if he can architect what would be the 20th come-from-behind victory of his 69-win career.

Woods' surge -- which included birdie putts of 6 feet, 16 feet and seven feet -- surprised no one. Not the fans who ducked in and out from under brightly-colored umbrellas or the players who heard their cheers.

Most of the players, that is.

Harrington

Harrington was so focused on his own game Saturday he did not know that Woods had bolted up the leaderboard until after he holed out at No. 18 and polished off his round of 67 to set the pace at 10 under. Not that he was particularly shocked or anything.

"Okay, he's in second place, there he is, 7 under par, there you go, three shot lead, is that enough? Probably not," the Irishman smiled and remembered thinking. "But now I really wish that putt went in on 18.

"... I was trying to put as much room between me and the field. But at the end of the day, there's probably never enough room between you and Tiger, so I know I have to play well tomorrow if I'm going to win."

Harrington, who will defend his title at the PGA Championship next week, twice has held off Woods. One win came at the 2006 Dunlop Phoenix where Harrington admits he "snuck up" on the world No. 1 and the other at the 2002 Target World Challenge where Woods was charging hard.

"That was more character-building," Harrington acknowledged.

Firestone Country Club though, is a different animal. Woods has never finished lower than fourth at the Bridgestone Invitational, which has become his own personal annuity as he's earned nearly $8 million there, and has only shot above par five times in 39 rounds.

"Tiger has been a prolific winner here," Harrington observed, stating the obvious. "In many ways I'm building him up in my own head, if you know what I mean. That would make me come out buzzing tomorrow and fighting as hard as I can. I know I'm going to need to do that.

"... I ain't going to get away with anything easy tomorrow. That's the key thought I've got to have going out there. I'm not hoping that Tiger turns up and shoots 70. I'm preparing myself that he's going to turn up tomorrow and shoot 65. I've got to better that. That's the idea in my head. I've got to go out there and perform.

"The last thing I want to do is go out there hoping that he doesn't. I've got to pump up to myself and put in my head that I've got to go out there and play good golf if I want to win this tournament."

Harrington may be a three-time major champion now but he's always been comfortable in the role of the underdog. He still remembers the days when he put guys like Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie and Retief Goosen on a pedestal. He used it as motivation, though.

"I've never been the guy that walked out to the first tee or it's happened very rarely in my life where the guys would have picked out and said, well, he's the man to beat," Harrington said. "I've always been the guy trying to beat the top dog, let's say. ...

"There was always a lot of players. I'd end up beating them, but I always felt they were better than me. I've had plenty of experience and practice of beating somebody who supposedly who is up there. So that's probably why I had two good rounds against Tiger."

Harrington needs another really good one on Sunday. Just as the Irishman relishes being a tad outside his comfort zone, though, Woods likes his at Firestone.

"I've always felt comfortable here, there's no doubt," Woods said. "...There's certain golf courses that just fit your eye. It's just hard to describe. You just feel comfortable on tee shots, you feel comfortable with the approaches. You understand how to play the golf course.

"That doesn't happen every week, but there's certainly some golf courses I feel that way, and this is one of them."