Thomastown, Ireland ? Despite no bogeys during the first 54 holes and his largest lead in two years, Tiger Woods figures he needs one more round of good golf to win the American Express Championship.

Everyone else might need a lot more than that.

Tiger Woods takes a shot from the 16th fairway during Saturday's third round of the American Express Championship in Thomastown, Ireland. Woods is the leader at 17-under-par.

“It will take something in the 50s to catch him,” Jerry Kelly said after spending Saturday watching Woods put on another clinic at Mount Juliet.

Woods didn’t hit the ball as crisply as he did the first two days, but he still produced a nonchalant round of 5-under 67 on a stunningly gorgeous afternoon in Ireland.

Birdies on the final two holes, the last one following a 5-iron that stopped four feet from the cup, left Woods at 19-under 197 and gave him a five-stroke lead over a half-dozen players, none of whom sounded overly optimistic.

“Tiger is playing awfully well,” Steve Lowery said. “I think I’ll need the round of my life to beat him.”

Scott McCarron set a course record with an 8-under 64. He was at 202 and will be paired with Woods in the final group today. They also played Mount Juliet together, along with Mark O’Meara, the week before the British Open in July.

Woods beat him that day, although McCarron had an excuse. He celebrated his 37th birthday the previous day, and wasn’t exactly in fighting form.

“It was a tough round for him,” Woods recalled with a smile.

Lowery, who has made only one bogey this week, didn’t make enough birdies Saturday and wound up with a 69. Also in the group at 14-under 202 were Vijay Singh (66), Retief Goosen (68), Kelly (70) and David Toms (69).

What will it take?

“Something lower than Scott McCarron’s 64,” Toms said. “I think I could shoot something lower, post it and see what happens.”

K.J. Choi of Korea leads at the Tampa Bay Classic in Palm Harbor, Fla.

Rocco Mediate had a 67, and at 13-under 203 was asked if that put him in contention.

“I don’t know what the man’s up to,” he said, as Woods was still on the course. “If you’re five or six behind, there’s not much of a chance.”

Woods now has gone 64 holes without a bogey, dating to the NEC Invitational at Sahalee. That put him in position to build on an even more daunting streak.

He is ruthless with the 54-hole lead 29-4 worldwide when he has at least a share of the lead going into the final round. The last time he failed to win was the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic, when Thomas Bjorn overcame a one-stroke deficit.

“This golf course, you can shoot some low numbers on it,” Woods said. “The greens are so good, anyone can come out tomorrow and shoot a low one. I have to keep making birdies and playing well.”

Woods has never played a 72-hole event without a bogey. He didn’t say that would mean more to him than winning the Ryder Cup, but it would bring some measure of satisfaction.

“It would mean I not only played well, I really grinded well the entire week, sucked it up and made those big par putts,” Woods said.

Choi on top at Tampa

Palm Harbor, Fla. K.J. Choi pushed his lead to five strokes in the Tampa Bay Classic, overcoming a late double bogey to shoot his second straight 3-under 68.

Pat Perez was second after a 71 that included two eagles on the Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead course. Glen Day (70), and Donnie Hammond (69) were six strokes back.

North on fire at SAS

Cary, N.C. Andy North birdied his last four holes in a 6-under 66 to take a one-shot lead over Bruce Lietzke after the second round of the Senior PGA Tour’s SAS Championship.

North, the two-time U.S. Open winner who is winless in 17 years, had a 10-under 134 total on the Prestonwood Country Club course. Lietzke, the defending champion, shot a course-record 63.

Tom Watson (66) was three strokes back at 7 under along with Don Pooley (67), Tom Purtzer (68), Jim Thorpe (73) and Dana Quigley (71).