ATLANTA (AP) – Adam Scott’s worst swing turned into his best shot Saturday, a tap-in eagle that carried him to a 3-under 67 and a surprisingly comfortable margin in the Tour Championship.

Tied for the lead with Joe Durant, Scott was in the first cut of rough on the left side of the par-5 15th fairway when he caught his 3-iron thin and slumped his shoulders as it ran up the steep slope. But it kept rolling, and rolling, until it climbed onto the green and stopped 2 feet away for an unlikely eagle.

The eagle gave the Australian star the lead, and it got even bigger when Durant bogeyed the next two holes.

Scott was at 7-under 203 and will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the final PGA Tour event of the year. He will play in the last group with Vijay Singh, who shot 30 on the back nine on his way to a 65 and was at 206. Durant wound up with a 70 and also was three shots behind.

Five of the top 10 players in the world ranking are among the top eight on the leaderboard.

Jim Furyk birdied three straight holes in his round of 67, while Retief Goosen made a couple of clutch pars to salvage a 68, and both were at 3-under 207. Also still in the hunt were Ernie Els (66) and Luke Donald (69) at 209.

Mizuno Classic

MIE, Japan – Annika Sorenstam moved into contention for an LPGA Tour-record sixth straight Mizuno Classic title, shooting a 6-under 66 to finish the second round two strokes behind leader Momoko Ueda.

Sorenstam had six birdies.

in her bogey-free round to finish at 7-under 137 on the Kashikojima Country Club course.

The 20-year-old Ueda, one of 35 Japan LPGA players in the 76-player field, was 9 under after a 64 – the course record and the best round of her career by a stroke.

Australian star Karrie Webb, a four-time winner this year on the LPGA Tour, was a stroke back after a 67, while first-round leader Rachel Hetherington (72) was 7 under along with Sorenstam, Japanese star Ai Miyazato (68), Brittany Lang (69), Aree Song (68), Yun Hee Ku (65) and Jeong Eun Lee (65).

Sorenstam is trying to win for the first time on the Kashikojima course. She began her streak in 2001 at Musashigaoka and won the last four years at Seta. Last year, she became the first LPGA Tour player to win a tournament five straight times and matched the record she shares with Mickey Wright for victories in an event.


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