Darren Clarke gave himself a chance to win another World Golf Championship on Saturday, finishing with a 4-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Jonathan Kaye in the NEC Invitational.

　　"I got a few breaks early on," said Clarke, who was at 9-under 201 on an increasingly firm Firestone course in Akron, Ohio. "I hit some good shots and some bad shots, but thankfully my short game has been very sharp, and that's what made the difference."

　　Kaye, who won for the first time on the PGA Tour this year at the Buick Classic, birdied his four holes and finished strong for a 65.

　　Clarke's biggest victory came three years ago in the Match Play Championship, when he hammered Tiger Woods in the 36-hole final.

　　This isn't match play, but it could shape up that way and Woods is very much in the picture.

　　Despite three bogeys in four holes during the middle of his round, Woods regrouped to shoot a 67 and was three strokes behind.

　　He has won the NEC Invitational the last three times it has been played at Firestone.

　　"I'm right where I need to be," Woods said. "I need to get off to a good start, and keep it going this time."

　　Chris Riley, a co-leader with David Toms going into the weekend, had an even-par 70 and was two shots behind at 203.

　　Davis Love III had a solid 68 and also was at 204 with Woods, while the group at 5-under 205 included US Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton, former US Open champion Retief Goosen, Steve Flesch and Brad Faxon.

　　Toms made a double bogey on the 17th and shot 76, dropping him eight strokes behind.

　　It all depends on Clarke, a 35-year-old from Northern Ireland, who played as well as his score indicated, although it was far from dull.

　　He hooked his tee shot on No 6 and was headed for the trees, where he likely would have had to chip out, assuming he had a swing. Instead, the ball bounced off a tree and shot across the fairway into the rough.

　　Clarke hit into about 15 feet and made birdie, causing a five-way tie for the lead.

　　He made his only bogey on the back nine at No 10, and he was happy it wasn't worse. Clarke caught a branch just off the tee, and his ball landed closer to the 18th fairway than the 10th. So, he decided to play down the 18th fairway.

　　"If you had seen where I was, you would have done the same thing,' he said. "I had no other option. I didn't have a back swing to even get it back on the 10th fairway."

　　From the wrong fairway, he hit wedge into a bunker, blasted out to 30 feet and holed the putt for bogey.

　　Ernie Els opened with a birdie and an eagle, both with putts inside 4 feet, but gave back all three shots by the time he made the turn.

　　Ditto for his playing partner, Woods, who birdied three of his first five holes until he started missing fairways and making bogeys.