DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Maybe shaving the goatee had something to do with it.

Five years ago, Tiger Woods blew his chance to win the Dubai Desert Classic on the 18th hole, sending a ball into the drink. On Saturday, he rallied on the same hole’s sprawling green to grab a share of the lead.

“It’s a pretty funky hole,” said Woods, who played it this time with a ricochet shot, netting him a birdie for a 5-under-par 67 that put his name atop the leaderboard with Danish journeyman Anders Hansen.

Woods is back to his clean-shaven look, saying he got tired of the goatee.

“I forgot to bring my clippers and it was getting really itchy,” he said.

After hooking his drive into a grove of palm trees, Woods overclubbed with a 4-iron and landed his approach over the protecting pond and, on the fly, into the grandstands behind the green.

A fan made the catch and flipped the ball down to Woods, who smiled back.

“I had a backboard to hit it up against, which was nice,” said Woods, who took a drop, chipped to 5 feet and made his birdie putt on the 537-yard hole, which ends on a sweeping double green that also serves the ninth hole.

None of this was accidental, of course.

“Stevie and I checked it out yesterday, just to see where you’re going to miss,” Woods said, referring to caddie Steve Williams.

Power-hitting rookie takes one-shot lead

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – According to family lore, J.B. Holmes was 14 months old when he took his first golf swing, and it hasn’t changed since.

“It’s just been God-given ability so far,” Holmes said.

The tour rookie with the booming drive shot a 6-under 65 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead in the FBR Open, while a raucous record crowd of 168,337 partied around him.

The 23-year-old Kentuckian was at 16-under 197 through 54 holes. Second-round leader J.J. Henry (70) and Ryan Palmer (64) were one back at 15 under.

Justin Leonard shot a 7-under 64 and David Toms had a 65 to reach 13 under, and Colombian Camilo Villegas (66), a hit with the crowd in neon green-yellow pants, was another stroke back along with Dean Wilson (66).

The low scores in calm weather with the temperature near 80 degrees set up a probable shootout in the final round on Sunday.

Teenager holds third-round lead

GOLD COAST, Australia – Amy Yang, a local 16-year-old high school student, held on to a one-stroke lead at the ANZ Australian Ladies Masters after a 2-under-par 70 Saturday at Royal Pines.

Yang, who led by four shots at one stage during the third round, was at 11-under 205, one shot better than Ludivine Kreutz of France.

Kreutz made up eight shots over the final six holes with a 67, including a hole-in-one.

Another amateur, 19-year-old Tiffany Joh (69), was tied for third with fellow American Catherine Cartwright (70), two shots back at 9-under.

Yang, vying to become the first amateur to win a major women’s golf tournament in Australia, made a few errors near the end of her round Saturday and admitted she’ll be nervous Sunday playing in front of a big gallery.