Harrington leads Target Challenge

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- No wonder they call this the silly season.

In a topsy-turvy day at the Target World Challenge, Padraig Harrington made four birdies from off the green on the final six holes for a 5-under 67 that gave him a one-stroke lead Friday over Tiger Woods, Davis Love III and Chris DiMarco.

Harrington figured a round like that would at least get him in reasonable position heading into the weekend.

Imagine his surprise when he tapped in for par on the 18th hole and saw his name atop the leaderboard at 3-under 141.

"There's a lot of ups and downs out there," Harrington said.

They weren't hard to find.

It was below freezing when Woods woke up. Not long after the sun thawed Sherwood Country Club, he proceeded to make a "snowman" -- golf vernacular for an 8 -- on the par-5 second hole, in part because of a snap decision to drop in an unfavorable spot.

He recovered with six birdies the rest of the day, the last coming from 15 feet on the final hole for a 1-under 71.

"That was probably one of the uglier rounds I could have played," Woods said. "I didn't kill anybody. I didn't kill myself. All in all, it was a good day."

Love never lost the lead until he went long on the par-3 12th for a double bogey, and short into the water on the par-3 15th and had to make a 15-footer for bogey. He wound up with a 72.

"I had a chance to run away, so that's a little disappointing," Love said.

DiMarco was disappointed Thursday, especially after he played the final six holes in 5-over to mess up a good round. About the only thing that kept him from losing his temper was a glance at the payout this week.

"I looked at last-place money ($150,000) and was OK with it," DiMarco said.

Among the half-dozen players at 1-under 143 was Masters champion Mike Weir, who got so disgusted with missing short putts that he used the blade of his sand wedge on the final hole and made a 5-footer for birdie and a 68.

Yes, these are strange times.

About the only thing serious about this week is the money -- a $5 million purse, with $1.2 million going to the winner -- and the quality of the field.

"I'd like to see this trophy in my trophy case," DiMarco said. "If you've beaten his field, you've beaten a good field."

The 16-man field includes the top 12 players available from the world ranking and four lucky guys chosen by Woods, the tournament host.

All but four of them were within four shots of the lead going into the weekend on a Sherwood course that is tough and tricky, a lethal combination for guys who are guaranteed a big check and whose patience ran out some two months ago.

"It's easier to get frustrated now than it was in June," Love said, alluding to the year that began 11 months ago -- and a new season that starts in three weeks.

Nick Price overcame a double bogey at No. 2 for a 69 and was joined at 143 by Vijay Singh (69), K.J. Choi (71), Robert Allenby (71) and Justin Leonard (72).

Woods, who won this tournament two years ago, figures he's in good shape if he can keep the mistakes to a minimum.

So far, that's proven to be quite a challenge.

Nothing was more severe than the par-5 second, nor was a single hole more bizarre.

From the fairway, it appeared as though a two-shot swing was imminent. Woods was in the short grass, while Love was at the bottom of a pile of leaves pressed next to the hedges guarding someone's house.

With a penalty drop, Love was hitting his fourth shot before Woods hit his second.

When they walked off the green, the two-shot swing favored Love.

Love hit just short of the fringe, about 15 feet away from the hole, and two-putted for a simple bogey.

Woods, meanwhile, pulled his second shot into the water. He dropped short of the creek and hit a sand wedge that landed 3 feet from the hole, only to spin back off the green, down a slope and into the creek.

He stomped back to his bag and dropped another ball -- even though he could have dropped outside the hazard line where his ball went into the water. That would have meant a simple chip from 30 feet, and saved him a stroke.

Love tried to point it out to him, but Woods had already taken his drop.

"I just compounded the problem," Woods said.

By the end of the day, he was in the same spot -- one stroke off the lead in a tournament where anything goes.