Singh claims two-stroke lead over field

Tiger Woods vaulted into contention while Vijay Singh grabbed the lead at the Western Open.

Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, dropped out of the picture with a poor third round at Cog Hill in Lemont, Ill., on Saturday.

Singh is at 11-under 202 for the tournament -- two strokes ahead of Carl Pettersson, Mathew Goggin, Stewart Cink, Trevor Immelman and Joe Ogilvie.

Singh shot an even 35 on the front nine but birdied three after the turn, including No. 17, to finish the round at 3-under 68. He was two strokes off the lead when the day began.

Woods was tied with defending champion Jim Furyk and Scott Gutschewski at 8 under, three shots behind Singh, after a 66 on the par-71 course.

Mickelson shot 75 on Saturday and was 3 over for the tournament.

Woods continued to rebound after missing the cut at the U.S. Open -- his first tournament since his father's death -- and shooting 1-over 72 on Thursday to open the Western Open. A 67 on Friday put him at 3 under heading into the third round and set the stage for his leap toward the top of the leaderboard.

Daniel Chopra, the surprise leader at 10 under after two rounds, shot a 76 and was at 5 under for the tournament, six strokes off Singh's pace.

LPGA Tour

Brittany Lincicome and Juli Inkster spoiled a possible Michelle Wie-Annika Sorenstam final in the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship in Gladstone, N.J.

The long-hitting Lincicome knocked out Wie with a 4-and-3 victory in the quarterfinals, and the 46-year-old Inkster beat Sorenstam 1-up with a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole -- moments after Sorenstam missed a 6-footer.

The 16-year-old Wie, winless in 30 starts on the LPGA Tour but a contender in all three majors this season, beat Se Ri Pak 2 and 1 in their morning third-round match. But the No. 2 seed fell behind early against the 20-year-old Lincicome.

Sorenstam was 3-up after eight holes and 2-up after 11 before Inkster fought her way back.

Inkster has thrived in match play, going 5-1 in Solheim Cup singles and winning 18 straight matches in her three U.S. Women's Amateur victories from 1980 to 1982.

The Hall of Famer will face fifth-seeded Paul Creamer in the semifinals this morning on the Hamilton Farm course. Creamer beat fourth-seeded Karrie Webb 3 and 2.

Lincicome will meet No. 3 Lorena Ochoa, a 3-and-2 winner over Sophie Gustafson.

Champions Tour

Tom Watson shot a 66 to keep him in the lead at the U.S. Senior Open in Hutchinson, Kan.

Loren Roberts charged into contention with an 8-under-par 62 that broke the mark for the lowest 18-hole score in any USGA Open championship.

Roberts recorded eight birdies and no bogeys on the narrow 6,646-yard Prairie Dunes layout, and had eight one-putts on the front nine.

The three-time winner on this year's Champion's Tour birdied five of the first eight holes en route to breaking the record of 63, which was shared by seven people. His 62 tied for the lowest 18-hole score in any of the 13 USGA national championships.

Peter Jacobsen's 68 put him four strokes back, tied with Mark James.

-- The Associated Press