Atlanta ? Vijay Singh has had chances to win the Tour Championship all three times it’s come to East Lake, but never one as good as this.

Singh blew away Tiger Woods and the rest of his challengers Saturday, holing an 80-foot eagle putt on No. 15 and closing strong for a 5-under 65 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round.

The position is familiar to Singh, just not the margin. He led by one stroke in 1998, losing in a playoff to Hal Sutton. He was tied with Woods after three rounds in 2000, and both were passed by Phil Mickelson.

Charles Howell III kept in the hunt with a birdie on the 17th hole and finished with a 69, making him the only player to break par all three rounds at East Lake. He will be paired with Singh in the final round today.

Woods’ magical ride around East Lake which included a birdie from an adjacent fairway and a left-handed shot from the leaves to save par came to a crashing halt with bogeys on two of his last three holes. He wound up with a 67 to finish five strokes behind, and will be paired with Mickelson in the final round. Lefty also had a 67.

David Toms also was at 206 after a 70 that featured a rare ruling on the par-3 18th green. His ball stopped in a pitch mark, and Toms had to move it about 2 feet to the left to keep it from rolling down the hill.