Daly overtakes Mongomerie, leads American Express

John Daly relied on the long ball to get back into contention, then to take the lead away from Colin Montgomerie on Saturday in an American Express Championship that kept a chilled gallery in suspense.

Daly hit a 378-yard drive that set up an eagle on the par-5 10th, ripped a 292-yard drive into the stiff wind for a chip-and-putt birdie on the par-4 16th, and finished with a 3-under 67 on the Harding Park course in San Francisco for a one-shot lead over Montgomerie.

Tiger Woods shot a 68 and finished two shots behind.

Daly, who started with a bogey and a double bogey on his first three holes, was at 9-under 201 and poised to capture his first victory in 19 months.

Montgomerie, who only last week ended his 19-month victory drought, closed with 10 straight pars for a 69, giving him another tee time with Daly on Sunday. They will be joined by Sergio Garcia, who shot a 67 to join Woods at 7 under.

LPGA Tour

Chile's Nicole Perrot moved into position for her first LPGA Tour victory, shooting a 7-under 64 to take a three-stroke lead after the third round of the Longs Drugs Challenge in Auburn, Calif.

The 21-year-old Perrot, the 2001 U.S. Girls champion, had a 14-under 199 total on The Ridge Golf Course. She had eight birdies -- four in a row on Nos. 3-6 -- and a bogey in the best round of her first full season on the tour.

Sweden's Liselotte Neumann (64) and South Korea's Hee-Won Han (66) were 11 under, and Sherri Turner (66), Jennifer Rosales (67) and Sherri Steinhauer (69) followed at 9 under. Han won the Office Depot Championship on Monday in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Hall of Famers Juli Inkster (67) and Beth Daniel (70) were in a group at 8 under, and Annika Sorenstam was nine strokes back at 5 under after a 71.

Champions Tour

Dana Quigley shot a season-best 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Loren Roberts in the Greater Hickory Classic.

The 58-year-old Quigley, a two-time winner this year who leads the Champions Tour money list with $1,812,298, had a 12-under 132 total on the Rock Barn Golf & Spa's Jones Course. Roberts, the Jeld-Wen Tradition winner in August, shot a 65.

Jay Haas (67), Jim Ahern (66) and Tom McKnight (68) were 9 under, and Brad Bryant (67) and Lonnie Nielsen (70) were another stroke back.

-- From wire reports