GOLF ROUNDUP : JONES STAYS HOT AS TIGER ACES.

Byline: Associated Press 

Tour sensation Tiger Woods supplied the electric moment in Saturday's third

round of the Phoenix Open, but Steve Jones played better once again.

Jones, birdying the first three holes and three of the last four for a 6-under-par 65, set a 54-hole tournament-record of 22-under 191 to take a five-stroke lead into today's final round at TPC of Scottsdale.

Woods, a three-time winner in his first nine tour events, had been thrust into the background at this tournament by his relatively poor showing. But when he sent a 9-iron tee shot 155 yards into the cup on two bounces at the par-3 16th hole, while many in a crowd estimated at 121,500 were seated on the hillside behind that green, a roar broke out that was audible hundreds of yards away.

As Woods left the tee area, fans began to shower it with beer cups. One onlooker ran onto the fairway, then began bowing from the waist in an ``I'm-not-worthy'' salute as marshals shooed him away.

The ace, Woods' ninth and the third by a PGA pro this year, dropped him to 9-under. He finished at 10-under 210 - 12 shots off the lead.

Jones, playing in the final twosome with David Duval, heard the crowd roar but shook it off in the middle of a string of birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes. Duval, tied with Tommy Tolles for second when the round began, also shot a 65 and enters the final round all alone in second place at 196.

Fulton Allem, Rick Fehr and Tolles were four shots behind Duval at 200, with Nick Price, Dan Forsman and two-time Phoenix champion Mark Calcavecchia grouped at 201.

Johnny Miller (twice) and Hal Sutton had 196s after three rounds in Phoenix, but all were playing on other courses. Jones was on the tougher TPC of Scottsdale stadium course, in use since 1987.

If he shoots par today, Jones would better the modern tournament record of 21-under, established by Calcavecchia in 1989.

$440,000 left in skins: Three-time defending champion Raymond Floyd, Hale Irwin and Jack Nicklaus all won holes on the first day of the two-day Senior Skins event at Kohala Coast, Hawaii, but $440,000 of the $540,000 purse will be at stake today.

The 10th hole alone will be worth $140,000 because the final four holes were tied in the first round and the money carried over.

Floyd ($40,000) and Irwin ($40,000) won two skins each each, Nicklaus ($20,000) won one skin and Lee Trevino went skinless through the first nine holes.

Three share Walker lead: Australia's Anthony Painter and Peter Lonard joined second-round leader Michael Long of New Zealand in a three-way tie for the lead entering today's final round of the Johnnie Walker Classic at Gold Coast, Australia.

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Photo

Photo: Jack Nicklaus, left, Hale Irwin, center, and tour official Brian Naugle go into lava bed in search of Irwin's drive ball at Senior Skins game in Hawaii.

Associated Press