Johnson has two-shot lead before Quail Hollow finale

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This article was published 03/05/2009 (6300 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Zach Johnson had the slightest feeling of panic Sat­urday when he saw his 7-iron hug the left side of the 17th green, wondering for a moment if he would stumble for the second straight day along a three­hole stretch called the "Green Mile."

Relief set in when he saw his ball on green grass, and the 12-foot birdie that followed made a world of difference.

Tiger Woods faltered on the final holes for the second straight day with two bogeys. George McNeill did the same. And when a storm system cleared and the third round finally finished, Johnson had a two-shot lead at the Quail Hollow Championship.

Now comes the hard part.

"I’ve got a two-shot lead. I’m happy to be there," Johnson said. "At the same time, on this golf course, that’s a matter of one hole. Maybe even one shot."

Johnson’s par-birdie-par finish — this one day after he went bogey-bogey­bogey — gave him a 4-under 68 and a two-shot lead over Woods, McNeill and Lucas Glover, all of whom dropped at least one shot over one of the toughest closing stretches on the PGA Tour.

Johnson was at 11-under 205 and in position to win for the second time this year.

The final two groups, including Johnson and McNeill, had to wait out a one-hour 12-minute storm delay before finishing the 18th hole. PGA Tour of­ficials blew the horn to stop play right after Woods staggered to the finish line with a 70.

Woods birdied all the par-5s, includ­ing a two-putt from 12 feet on the 15th hole that put him in the outright lead at 11 under par for the first time in a third round that featured seven play­ers atop the leaderboard at some point. That he would drop two shots at the end was not terribly shocking, given the difficulty of the holes.

"That’s not the way you want to fin­ish," Woods said. "But I’ve got a shot going into tomorrow."

— The Canadian Press