ATLANTA (AP) – What used to be routine felt like a novelty to Tiger Woods.

After four straight birdies on his way to a 5-under 65 at East Lake, the former No. 1 player in the world was introduced Saturday as one of the 54-hole leaders in the Tour Championship.

Woods raised his cap in mock celebration, and for good reason.

It’s been more than a year since he has been in this position.

“I think I’ve made steady progress,” said Woods, who has only one victory this year and lost his No. 1 ranking two months ago to Vijay Singh. “This is just merely a continuation of it.”

The final round shapes up as a battle of the ages.

Woods was tied with 50-year-old Jay Haas, who recovered from two early bogeys for a 68. They were at 9-under 201 and will be paired together Sunday, two close friends born 22 years apart who haven’t won in a while.

Of course, that should be kept in perspective.

Woods has gone 19 stroke-play tournaments without winning – his longest drought since turning pro in 1996. Haas has gone 11 years and 266 tournaments since his last victory, the 1993 Texas Open.

“I definitely won’t be the favorite tomorrow,” Haas said. “But what he does shouldn’t affect what I do.”

Woods lost 36-hole leads in back-to-back weeks in May, the first sign that he no longer was the dominant force he was. That’s what makes Sunday such an interesting test.

Woods is ruthless with at least a share of the 54-hole lead, winning 30 of 32 times in that position. Putting together his best back-to-back rounds in four years only made him feel that much more confident.

“I’m going to give it my best,” Woods said.

U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, playing with Woods, also made four straight birdies and had the outright lead until he failed to save par from two bunkers on the back nine. He shot 69 and was four shots behind, along with Mike Weir (67) and Stephen Ames (70).

Singh’s bid to finish the year with 10 victories – the most since Sam Snead won 11 times in 1954 – crashed with an indifferent round of 70 that left him 11 shots out of the lead.

“You’ve got to be in contention to be 100 percent into it,” Singh said. “I’m just not into it.”

Woods got himself into the mix with his two lowest consecutive rounds (64-65) since he won the Canadian Open four years ago by closing with 64-65-64. Of course, that was when Woods was at the height of his game.

Sorenstam takes a four-stroke lead

OTSU, Japan – Annika Sorenstam moved into position for her record-tying fourth consecutive Mizuno Classic title, shooting a 6-under 66 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead into the final round.

The Swedish star, trying to match the LPGA Tour record of four straight victories in a tournament set by Laura Davies in the 1994-97 Standard Register Ping, birdied the two par-5 closing holes for the second straight day to finish at 15-under 129.

“I know I have an opportunity to make history, and obviously I look forward to that, but it is one thing at a time,” Sorenstam said.

Japan’s Chihiro Nakajima, tied for the first-round lead with Sorenstam after a 63, had a 70 to drop into second place on the Seta Golf Course.

Grace Park, coming off a five-stroke victory over Sorenstam and Carin Koch last week in the CJ Nine Bridges Classic in South Korea, shot a 69 to finish at 8 under along with Davies (69), Aree Song (70), Jamie Hullett (67), Candie Kung (67), Chieko Amanuma (67) and Junko Omote (67). Koch was 7 under after a 67.

Sorenstam, a six-time LPGA Tour winner this year with 54 career victories, had four birdies and a bogey on the front nine. She added a birdie on the par-4 14th to reach 13 under and pulled away with her birdies on the final two holes.

“I feel pretty good, not as good as yesterday score-wise and play-wise, but I am happy with the finish,” Sorenstam said.

Last year, Sorenstam ran away with the tournament, setting a tour 54-hole scoring record of 24-under 192 in a nine-stroke victory. She also took the 2002 title on the Seta course after winning the 2001 event at Musashigaoka.

Thongchai takes lead in Vietnam Masters

HANOI, Vietnam – Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand shot an 8-under 64 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the third round of the inaugural Vietnam Masters.

He has gone through swing changes this year that have resulted in his worst year as a pro – only one victory, at the Match Play Championship in late February when he could get away with some bad shots and ugly rounds.

Woods’ only bogey over the last two days was a three-putt from some 50 feet on the opening hole Saturday. But he recovered with some clean shots and timely putts – a 9-iron to 10 feet on No. 8 and to 12 feet on No. 9, followed by a couple of 30-footers down the slope that trickled into the cup on their last roll.

He suddenly looked like the Woods of old, pumping his fist, pointing at the cup when the ball disappeared. Even a few breaks started falling his way, none greater than a wayward drive on the 17th that landed on the grassy slope of a bunker and stopped in a patch of short grass between two traps.

But while a victory might take some of the sting out of a frustrating year, this might be one case where Woods could be the spoiler.

Haas has been one of the more amazing stories in golf the last two years. Despite being eligible for the Champions Tour, he has continued to tee it up against the best with strong results. He was the second-oldest player to compete in the Ryder Cup, and he became the oldest to qualify for the Tour Championship.

All he has to do now is take down the most formidable closer in golf for his first victory in more than a decade.

“It probably takes a little pressure off me,” Haas said. “If I don’t win, everybody will say, Well, my goodness, he’s up against one of the best players in the world and he’s 50 years old,’ and all that stuff. That’s kind of disrespecting myself if I think that way.

“I can do it. I’ve got to think that.”

Haas showed plenty of resolve, especially after sloppy bogeys on the second and third holes that trimmed his lead to a single shot. And it didn’t look much better when he hit his approach long on No. 4 and had a 12-foot par putt.

“That felt like a birdie,” Haas said of a par save that kept his round going.

With Goosen and Woods starting to pull away, Haas chipped to 3 feet for birdie on No. 9, hit his approach to 10 feet for birdie on No. 10, then joined Woods in the lead with a shot into 3 feet on the 12th.

The friendship of young and old began last year at the U.S. Open, when Haas asked Woods to play a practice round with him and his 21-year-old son, Bill.

Woods and Haas are frequent partners in practice rounds now, and Woods referred to him as one of his best friends on tour. No telling what that will do to the dynamics Sunday, although history doesn’t favor Woods.

The last time Woods and good pal Mark O’Meara went toe-to-toe on Sunday with a trophy on the line, O’Meara beat him in the finals of the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth.

And the last time Woods failed to hold a 54-hole lead was four years ago in the Tour Championship at East Lake.