Vijay Singh will take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the PGA Tour Championship after shooting a five-under-par 65 in Atlanta on Saturday.

Singh holed an 80-foot eagle putt on the 15th to put daylight between himself and his pursuers, and he will go into the final round in the lead for the third time in six years.

The Fijian led by one stroke in 1998, eventually losing in a play-off to Hal Sutton, and was tied with Tiger Woods after three rounds in 2000, before both were passed by Phil Mickelson.

Woods is five shots off the pace after bogeying two of the last three holes to card a 67.

He will play in the penultimate pairing with Phil Mickelson, who also shot a 67, while Singh will be joined in the final pairing by Charles Howell III.

He kept in the hunt with a birdie on the 17th hole and finished with a 69, making him the only player to break par in all three rounds at East Lake.

Singh is determined that this time he will go on and win the title.

"I hope so," said Singh, who is on a nine-under-par 201. "This is the first time I'm going in with a three-shot lead. It's a lot better than one."

Woods produced a couple of marvellous saves after wayward drives to stay in the hunt but ran out of steam at the end.

He missed the fairway on the tough 16th, and then left himself an impossible chip down the slope to the 18th green.

"I fought all day, really gutted it out," said Woods. "To finish a round like that is pitiful."

Scores after the third round of the USPGA Tour Championship (US unless noted):

201 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 65 71 65
204 Charles Howell III 66 69 69
206 Phil Mickelson 70 69 67, Tiger Woods 71 68 67, David Toms 70 66 70
207 Jerry Kelly 71 69 67, Chris DiMarco 70 68 69
208 Kenny Perry 71 69 68, Scott McCarron 70 69 69
209 Robert Allenby (Aus) 74 69 66, Nick Price (Zim)
73 68 68, K.J. Choi (South Korea) 71 68 70, Steve Lowery 65 71 73
210 Davis Love III 72 70 68, Retief Goosen (SAf) 69 69 72