• Arnold Palmer Invitational, Round Three

Leader Woods set for new McDowell showdown

Tiger Woods reacts to a sub-standard shot © Getty Images

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Tiger Woods will go into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a narrow lead over Graeme McDowell - as the pair face each other at the business end of a tournament for the first time since the Northern Irishman beat Woods at his own tournament at the tail end of 2010.

On that occasion, Woods was defeated by McDowell in a sudden death play-off at the Chevron World Challenge, the tournament he hosts at the end of every season.

This time the American will go into the final round with a one-shot advantage - although it could have been far better but for a disaster on the 15th.

Walking to that hole with a four-shot advantage, a loud noise - believed to be a shout from somewhere else on the course - appeared to affect Woods as he snap-hooked his tee-shot out of bounds into a back garden ajoining the course. A marvellous approach shot from his second tee-shot gave himself a look at a bogey, but he was unable to hole it for his one notable slip of the day.

It was an otherwise solid round of the golf from Woods. He bogeyed the second thanks to a misjudged putt from the back of the green, but from that point gave himself a number of looks at birdie as he picked up shots at the fourth, sixth, 11th and 13th.

A bogey at the 14th preceded his biggest misfortune, but he bounced back at the par-five 16th to restore his advantage on the field. A clinical up-and-down from the bunker on the 17th saved his par, before two-putting at the treacherous 18th to sign for a round of 71 and 11-under par total.

That means he will play with McDowell, on his shoulder at 10-under, on Sunday.

McDowell enjoyed a fantastic day of ballstriking, but simply could not get anything going with the putter on an ultimately frustrating day that was only alleviated by Woods' struggles at the 15th and a late birdie at the 17th.

The 2010 US Open champion finished with a round of 71, good enough to get him into the final pairing with the 14-time champion and give him another chance to beat him one-on-one down the stretch.

After leaked extracts from a forthcoming book revealed Woods is not his biggest fan, Ian Poulter might perhaps be glad to have narrowly missed out on playing with the American in the final group of the day.

The Englishman's third round nevertheless confirmed a return to form after a difficult few months; as he had an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys on the way to a round of 68 - good enough to put him on level terms with Ernie Els at eight-under.

The South Africa, who is still looking to force his way into the field for next month's Masters, went one better than Poulter with a round of 67 - thanks to some smooth putting that saw him finish with two birdies in his final three holes.

Two Americans, Charles Howell III and Johnson Wagner will hope to make a run at the leaders from their current position at seven-under, while Kevin Na and Charlie Wi are a shot further back after rounds of 69 and 76 respectively.

Bubba Watson perhaps should have been in contention himself, but the left-hander was left to rue a stretch of two bogeys and a double bogey in six holes on the back nine that restricted to a round of 72, leaving him adrift at five-under alongside Zach Johnson and Sean O'Hair - having been in the mixer at eight-under at the end of the front nine.

As far as other English interests go, Justin Rose sits four-under (alongside Webb Simpson) while Brian Davis and Greg Owen are three-under and two-under respectively.

The defending champion, Scotland's Martin Laird is one shot further back.

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