PARAMUS, N.J. - Martin Laird suspected that four straight birdies early in the round, and no bogeys, had put him in the lead Saturday at The Barclays. When he finally glanced at a leader board, it gave him a jolt.
And it had nothing to do with the size of his three-shot lead.
The board occasionally shows the projected FedEx Cup standings. Laird, who started the playoffs at No. 95 and was hopeful of reaching the second round, saw his name at No. 1.
"I didn't think I'd come in here and move that much," Laird said after his 6-under 65. "I caught a glimpse of the projected FedEx Cup and I got a little shock."
It was a not-so-subtle reminder that winning goes a long way in these playoffs, and Laird put himself in a great spot. He was at 12-under 201, three shots clear of Dustin Johnson and Jason Day with one round left at Ridgewood Country Club.
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A victory for the 27-year-old Scot would move him to No. 1, assuring him a spot in all four majors next year, and making him a serious contender for the $10 million FedEx Cup payoff.
Tiger Woods also has something at stake today, but it most likely won't be a trophy. After missing only one fairway in each of the first two rounds, Woods hit his opening tee shot off the property and took a triple bogey. He couldn't get those three strokes back and shot a 72, putting him nine shots behind. He needs a steady final round just to advance to the second round next week outside Boston.
For Johnson, who has found nothing but hard luck in the majors, it will be his second straight tournament playing in the final group.
So much for that hangover from the PGA Championship, where he was penalized two shots on the final hole when he didn't realize he was in a bunker at Whistling Straits, knocking him out of a playoff.
Johnson began to hit his stride on a sunny day in northern New Jersey. On the 616-yard 13th hole, he blasted a 3-wood to about 15 feet for eagle, and added consecutive birdies a short time later on his way to a 64 that gave him a chance to win.
"I definitely put myself into the hunt," Johnson said.
Day remains in the hunt, too, although he didn't help himself on a day for scoring. The 22-year-old Australian regained the lead by chipping in for an eagle on the short par-4 fifth hole, but simply missed too many putts and struggled enough with his driver - he hit only four fairways - to give it away. Day made five bogeys, one of them on a par 5 on the back nine, and had to settle for a 70.
Adam Scott birdied the 18th hole for a 68 and was four shots behind.
LPGA Tour
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Michelle Wie carded an even-par 72 to fall into a tie with Jiyai Shin after a rainy day at the Canadian Women's Open.
Shin shot a 69 to erase the three-stroke lead Wie took into the third round at the St. Charles Country Club. Both were at 10 under.
Na Yeon Choi sank a 60-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to move into a tie for third at 6 under with Jee Young Lee and Suzann Pettersen.
Champions Tour
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. - Bernhard Langer fired a 9-under 63 to take a one-shot lead over Nick Price after two rounds of the Boeing Classic. Langer was at 15 under.
Price struggled to make birdies on the back nine and finished with a 67, allowing Langer to overtake the first- round leader.
Tom Pernice shot a 70 and was third at 10 under.
European Tour
GLENEAGLES, Scotland - Francesco Molinari shot a 4-under 68 to take one-shot lead over brother Edoardo after the third round of the Johnnie Walker Championship.
Francesco was at 10-under 206 to move just ahead of his older brother, who had a 69.
Oliver Wilson (68), Simon Dyson (70), Gregory Bourdy (70), Julien Guerrier (73) and Stephen Gallacher (71) were another shot back.
US Amateur
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. - Stanford's David Chung ousted defending Amateur champion Byeong-Hun An in the semifinals of the 110th championship.
Chung rallied from 3 down after nine holes to beat An 1 up.
In the other semifinal, Peter Uihlein of Oklahoma State won three holes in a five-hole stretch on the back nine to turn back 18-year-old Patrick Cantlay 4 and 3.
Chung and Uihlein will play a 36-hole final today.
