Thomas leads Bridgestone as Tiger fades

AKRON, Ohio — Justin Thomas pulled away from a crowd with five birdies in the middle of his round for a 3-underpar 67 and a three-stroke lead going into the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational as he goes after his third victory this season on the PGA Tour.

No one could keep pace with Thomas, least of all Tiger Woods.

Starting the third round Saturday five shots behind, Woods didn't make a birdie until a 12-foot putt on the 12th hole, and he didn't make another. He wound up with a 73, leaving him 11 strokes off the pace and ending his streak of 10 consecutive rounds at par or better dating to the U.S. Open.

Thomas, whose six birdies included a chip-in from 30 feet behind the green on the par-3 12th, was at 14-under 196 — three shots clear of Rory McIlroy (67) and Ian Poulter (70). In other golf news:

• Kenny Perry tied a tournament record with a 12-under 60 and leads by five strokes after two rounds of the 3M Championship at Blaine, Minn. His two-round score of 126 is a tourney record. Glen

Day (65) is five shots back. • Pornanong Phatlum shot a 3-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead over playing partner Georgina

Hall heading into the final round of the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham in Lytham St. Annes, England. Phatlum is at 13-under 203 overall. • Andrew Putnam took the lead in the Barracuda Championship at Reno, Nev., and is three points ahead of Sam

Saunders in the PGA Tour's only modified Stableford scoring event. Putnam had eight birdies and a bogey at Montreux Golf and Country Club, scoring 15 points-Saturday and has 38 overall. Saunders, Arnold Palmer's grandson, eagled the par-5 13th and 18th in a 12-point round.