McGinley ready to take on the Tiger

Paul McGinley will begin the final day of the NEC World Championship in Akron just one shot off the lead – and with 20 holes still to play.

After two thunderstorm delays the third round was suspended for the day at 6.05pm with 20 players still to finish.

Americans Tiger Woods and Kenny Perry are tied for the lead at seven under par, but while Perry’s first shot at 7.30am will be a 10-foot attempt for a birdie on the 18th and a round of 63 Woods will be heading back into the trees left of the fairway at the long 16th.

McGinley, meanwhile, is just over the back in three on the monster 667-yard hole.

The Dubliner arrived at the course at 7.15am for a nine o’clock tee-off, the third round having been brought forward nearly five hours to try to beat the weather.

But at 12.44pm the sirens sounded and play was held up for three hours 11 minutes.

Woods was two ahead at that point, but on the resumption he failed to get up and down on the short 15th while Perry had a third successive birdie at the 17th.

The world number one then hooked his next shot, but got a lucky break as the ball just made it through a small tree. He had a swing at his next shot, but also had to hook it to get back into position.

The second period of play was a mere 18 minutes and Perry could not believe his bad luck – he hoped he had only one more shot to play.

McGinley moved one ahead when he birdied the opening two holes, but Woods’ response to that was to have three in a row from the second.

He then added another with a superb approach to four feet on the 471-yard 13th, while the Dubliner picked up further shots at the 10th and 14th, but also bogeyed the 11th after pulling his drive into the rough.