When the zaniness subsided as the orange glow of the sun dipped behind the clouds, Woods was atop the leaderboard at 17-under 199 and poised to win for the second straight year at the Blue Monster.

Woods is 33-3 on the PGA Tour when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead.

Instead of Mickelson at his side Sunday, Woods will be paired with Chopra, who birdied two of his last three holes and was at 15-under 201. Also two shots behind was Beem, the former PGA champion, who was terrified of the Blue Monster’s closing hole until he birdied it for a 69.

David Toms wasn’t so fortunate. He was in rough so deep that he laid up short of the water, then failed to convert par from 92 yards and had to settle for a 70, leaving him at 14-under 202 along with Villegas.

It will take some work to catch Woods, who is dominant with the lead.

“If you’re leading, you’re playing pretty good,” Woods said about his record going into the final round.

Woods wasted one chance earlier to take charge of the tournament.

He birdied the first two holes and twice made big par saves on the first five holes. After his approach ballooned into the wind and trickled just short of the rocks guarding the pond on No. 3, he pitched to 5 feet and made the putt. And after a gust knocked his ball into the bunker at No. 5, he blasted out to 10 feet and made another big putt.

It appeared as though he might pull away with a 340-yard drive on the par-5 eighth, followed by a 5-iron into 30 feet for a two-putt birdie that put him two shots ahead of Mickelson. But he dumped his 8-iron into the water on the par-3 ninth and made double bogey, bringing everyone back into the mix.

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That changed with a 6-iron into 3 feet on the 13th — the only birdie of the round on that par 3 — a wedge from 153 yards into 10 feet on the 14th, and an 8-iron from 172 yards into 8 feet for his third straight birdie.

Equally important was his par on the final hole, one extra shot between Woods and those trying to catch him.

Divots: NBC Sports is televising the next five PGA Tour events, and it didn’t take long for analyst Johnny Miller to get into the swing of things. Noting that no one had made birdie on the par-3 13th, Miller pointed out that Sergio Garcia missed a 7-foot birdie putt. “Nothing new there,” he said. ... Davis Love III was told his tee time was 11:14 a.m., but it sounded to him like 11:40 a.m. He was in the fitness trailer when he saw the tee times, rushed out the door and went to the first tee without warming up. “I hit driver and 1-iron to 20 feet and made eagle,” Love said with a laugh. He shot 67 and was at 12-under 204.

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