Thousand Oaks, CA – Graeme McDowell posted a 4-under 68 in damp conditions Saturday and remained atop the leaderboard after three rounds of the World Challenge.
McDowell, who beat tournament host Tiger Woods at this event in 2010, finished 54 holes at 13-under-par 203.
Keegan Bradley, the 2011 PGA Champion, matched the low round of the day with his 5-under 67. That helped him move into second place at minus-11.
Woods carded a 3-under 69 to finish three rounds at 8-under-par 208 at Sherwood Country Club. He was joined there by Bo Van Pelt (70).
Jim Furyk is alone in fifth place at 7-under 209 after a 71. Rickie Fowler is one stroke back after a third-round 70.
McDowell rolled in a long birdie putt on the second to push his lead back to two as Bradley opened with two early birdies. McDowell drained another lengthy birdie effort on No. 4.
The 2010 U.S. Open champion parred four in row from the fifth. He birdied the ninth to stretch his lead back to three over Bradley. McDowell got up and down for birdie from just short of the 11th green for his fourth birdie of the day.
McDowell closed with seven consecutive pars to remain atop the leaderboard.
"I feel I played better than that. The scoring hasn't been as good as people might expect, as certainly as the players might expect around a golf course that is there for the taking as soft as it is," McDowell said in a televised interview. "I was very happy the way I played ... I would have liked to picked a couple more up, but I'm right where I want to be going into Sunday."
Bradley birdied the first and third to move to minus-8. He birdied the sixth to close within two of McDowell.
After stumbling to a bogey on the par-4 ninth, Bradley fought back with birdies at 10 and 11 to get to minus-10. He got back within two of the lead thanks to a birdie at the par-5 16th.
Woods chipped in for birdie at the first, but after six straight pars, he gave that shot back with a bogey on the par-3 eighth.
The tournament host flew up the leaderboard with three birdies in a 4-hole span from the 14th. That spurt got him within five and put him in the penultimate group for the final round.
"It's just one of those tings where I've missed a lot of opportunities and consequently I'm not double digits under par and not closer to the lead," Woods said in a TV interview.
NOTES: McDowell beat Woods in a playoff here in 2010 ... Bradley finished 17th last year in his first appearance at this event ... Woods won the title for the fifth time last year.
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