NOTEBOOK: FORMER CHAMPIONS POISED FOR LATE CHARGE.

Byline: JILL PAINTER and GENE WARNICK

Staff Writers

Some players always seem to play well at Riviera.

Perhaps that's why former Nissan champions Robert Allenby, Ernie Els and Rory Sabbatini made moves up the leader board Saturday.

"It's always been a shotmaker's course," said Steve Elkington, who won the 1995 PGA Championship at Riviera. "The better you hit your irons, the better position you'll be on the greens. And the guys who make putts are the ones who are underneath the hole."

Elkington shot his third consecutive 69 to move into a tie for 14th at 6-under 207.

"I love this course and always have done well here," said the 44-year-old Elkington, whose history of sinus problems has hindered his career. "You're always glad to get on a course where you feel you have a shot (to win). All the old guys can get up top here."

Allenby, who won here in 2001, shot a 68 to gain a share of fourth at 10-under 203.

"If I'm in position on the back nine (today), perhaps I can draw on memories of 2001," said Allenby, who overcame a three-stroke deficit in the final round that year and won a six-man playoff.

Riviera also has a history of large comebacks in the final round.

Adam Scott rallied from a nine-stroke deficit last year before falling a shot short of Sabbatini. Mike Weir overcame a seven-shot deficit to win in 2003.

"As long as I've been coming here, it's always been anyone within five or six shots can win this tournament in a day," Allenby said. "I think it's just the golf course. It can give you so much, but then again, it can take it all back from you."

Els, the 1999 Nissan champion, had a 67 and is tied for sixth at 9 under. He expects he'll need another good round today to have any chance of winning.

"I've got to go low, no matter what Phil (Mickelson, the tournament leader at 13 under) does," Els said. "There are so many guys around 8, 9, 10, 11 (under), so you really need a breakout round (today) -- 63 or something."

Sabbatini shot a 67 and is tied for 11th at 7-under 206. He also called Riviera a shotmaker's course.

"It's nice to be back here with a chance to win again. If you put up a good title defense, it gives you a good feeling," Sabbatini said.

"I'm in the background, but not the too distant background."

The ultimate jinx?: Jim Furyk, who's tied for sixth, seven shots back, laughed off a question from a radio reporter.

"Looks like this will be your fourth top-10 finish of the year," the reporter said.

Of course, Furyk still has to play today's final round.

"That's the biggest jinx question I've ever been asked in my career," Furyk said. "I'm not answering that."

Daly special: John Daly shot a 3-under 68 and is 10 shots off the lead. He started on the 10th tee and birdied five of his first nine holes. It was a great day for Daly, who has struggled with injuries over the past year.

He finished in a tie for 28th at the Sony Open in Hawaii last month, then missed the next three cuts.

Daly lost his PGA Tour card last season because he finished 193rd on the money list but received 25-30 sponsor exemptions this season, and the Nissan Open was the first to offer a spot.

Up close: When Rich Beem aced the 14th hole and won a Nissan Altima Coupe, there was a Nissan executive there to act as a witness.

After Beem jumped on the car, which was sitting behind the tee box, John Gill, the director of sports marketing for Nissan, gave Beem his card and said to have his agent call him so he could deliver the car.

Reversing course: After Phil Mickelson was done at a news conference, he hopped on the back of a golf cart driven by a public-relations employee. Mickelson got a little jolt when the cart, which was intended to move forward, was inadvertently in reverse. No one was hurt.