Lady Luck smiles on Woods

If Tiger Woods wins another golf title by one shot in Akron on Sunday many people will consider him not only the best golfer in the world, but the luckiest as well.

Woods took that one-stroke lead into the third round of the Bridgestone World Championship after a bizarre and chaotic end to Friday's play.

Woods needed a closing par on the ninth hole for a seven-under-par 63. But it was nearly 45 minutes later before he holed for a fortunate bogey, thanks to a free drop, and playing partner Paul McGinley had a double-bogey for 75 - after both players hit shots over the grandstand.

From the right-hand rough the world number one saw his nine-iron fly over the grandstand at the back of the green, on to a cart path and then up on to the roof of the three-storey clubhouse.

It then disappeared from view - and as everyone wondered what that meant McGinley hit his third shot from the fairway and that, incredibly, went over the grandstand as well.

Rules officials had to deal with both situations and for a while nobody seemed to know what was going on.

Eventually, a chef and a security guard at the back of the clubhouse were spoken to and said a ball had been picked up by a young boy.

It was presumed to be Woods' and, because the entire clubhouse area is not out of bounds, he was also able to drop without penalty.

Woods is one stroke clear of Davis Love III.