SAN DIEGO (AP) – His life in constant turmoil off the course, John Daly’s game hasn’t looked this good since he was holding a claret jug at St. Andrews eight years ago.

Daly ripped a big drive that set up a 30-foot eagle on the final hole Saturday for a 4-under 68, giving him a one-stroke lead over Stewart Cink and his best chance at winning on the PGA Tour since he captured his second major at the 1995 British Open.

He was anything but the “Wild Thing” at Torrey Pines.

Daly has made only one bogey in his two rounds on the South course, site of the 2008 U.S. Open, and his short game kept him close to Stewart Cink until his length took over on the par-5 18th.

Daly was at 13-under 203, the first time he has had a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour in 10 years.

Cink had a 71 and was one stroke behind, while Dennis Paulson made good use of his sponsor’s exemption with a 67 that left him at 11-under 205.

Paulson, who lives 10 miles away, normally would be the hometown favorite Sunday, but he knows better.

Daly has been one of the most popular draws in golf ever since he crashed the scene in 1991 by winning the PGA Championship as the ninth alternate.

“To see him hit the fairway and hit an iron to the green, it was kind of spine-tingling, even for me,” Cink said.

The fans love Daly’s grip-it-and-rip-it style, and they relate to a common man with everyday struggles, including two divorces and two trips to alcohol rehab. The latest setback came a week after his son was born, when Daly’s wife and her parents were indicted on federal drug and gambling charges.

That’s about the time his game, which has seen so many peaks and valleys in his career, started turning around. He won the Korean Open last fall, along with the unofficial Callaway Invitational at Pebble Beach.

Daly has made three straight cuts for the first time since 2002, only now he has his eyes on a bigger prize.

There are still plenty of players within range, although Tiger Woods won’t be one of them.

The defending champion was all over the South course again – in the bunkers, trees, anywhere but the short grass – hitting only five fairways on his way to a 72.

That left him eight shots out of the lead, and put in jeopardy his streak of finishing no worse than fifth every time he plays the Buick Invitational.

“I just need to drive it better,” Woods said.

Those still in the game include Steve Flesch (72) at 9-under 207. Jesper Parnevik continued his minor resurgence with a 70 that left him in a large group at 208.

It all starts with Daly, who has a history of good play at Torrey Pines.

He finished fourth in the Buick Invitational two years ago, although he hasn’t had a higher finish since then.

He got into position with a bogey-free 66 on the South in the second round, and there was a feeling that it would come undone at any moment, as it has so many other times.

Saturday, that simply wasn’t the case.

While Daly still takes the club back so far he can see the head out of the corner of his eye, he is much more in control, often hitting three-quarter shots that keep the ball from sailing too far off line.

Daly started the third round two strokes out of the lead, and after stuffing an approach shot into 2 feet for birdie on the opening hole, he was never more than one shot out of the lead.

Daly’s pulled into a tie with Cink with a birdie on No. 9, and the roar could be heard at all ends of the course. The more impressive holes were his pars, getting up-and-down from the bunker on No. 11 and hitting a beautiful pitch to within 4 feet on the 15th.

The galleries continued to grow as he made his way around the course, and they figure to be enormous Sunday.

Every time Daly gets written off, he manages to write another chapter.

Paulson could also qualify as a sympathetic figure, coping with shoulder, arm and back injuries as he lost his tour card. He can get it back with a victory Sunday.

Only Paulson knows better. It’s not where he is playing, but with whom.

“It’s a hometown for Daly wherever he plays,” he said.

Divots: Three-time winner Phil Mickelson, who made the cut on the number at 1 under par, had a 69 and was nine shots out of the lead. … David Toms, away from golf the last two months after surgery on his left wrist to remove bone spurs, is expected to return next week at Riviera for the Nissan Open. … The prediction of the week came from John Wood, the caddie for Kevin Sutherland. “You heard here first,” he said Thursday morning. “The streak ends.” Vijay Singh would not finish in the top 10? “He won’t make the cut,” Wood replied. … Bob Tway has his brother, Scott, on the bag this week. Scott Tway normally works for Scott Verplank, who skipped the Buick Invitational because his wife gave birth to a girl this week.

AP-ES-02-14-04 1844EST