GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Tiger Woods drove on adjacent fairways twice on the back nine, hit a cup of beer in a spectator's hand, got rattled by a bug and was relegated to shaping some shots around trees and under branches.

He still managed to shoot a 7-under 65 yesterday in the third round of the Buick Open, giving him a 17-under 199 total and a one-stroke lead when Michael Letzig (68) double bogeyed the last hole.

"The whole idea of the game is put the ball in the hole, and I did that," Woods said. "But as far as controlling my ball, I didn't do that."

Woods opened his first tournament since missing the cut at the British Open with a 71 after what he said was probably his worst putting day.

When he was eight shots behind first-round leader Steve Lowery, Woods said he couldn't make up ground in one day at Warwick Hills.

It took him two.

Woods roared back into contention with a 9-under 63 in the second round and took the lead with his 65 yesterday.

"Eight back, at a U.S. Open, you can make that up in one round," he said. "You can't make it up around here."

He moved into a tie for the lead with Letzig at 17 under with a 33-foot birdie putt at No. 17.

Woods pumped his fist, shouted "Yeah!" and the traditionally rowdy gallery roared so loud he couldn't communicate with caddie Steve Williams.

"It was pretty exciting," said Woods, making his ninth Buick Open appearance. "The people here have been absolutely incredible, so supportive of this event over the years. That's one of the reasons why we love coming here."

Letzig hit a poor shot out of a greenside bunker at No. 18, barely clearing it and leaving him with a tricky lie. He fell to 16 under while Woods was on the practice range.

"I don't care," Letzig said when asked if it would be tough to forget what happened on the last hole. "I'm one shot out of the lead."

U.S. SENIOR OPEN

CARMEL, Ind. — Fred Funk brought some fire to the U.S. Senior Open yesterday.

He pumped his fist, raised his arms, kicked his leg and smiled throughout the third round, showing no signs of the painful knee and shoulder injuries that have hindered him much of this season.

Funk felt fantastic after shooting a 4-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead over Greg Norman and Joey Sindelar. Funk was at 13 under at Crooked Stick.

"One thing I can't do is take a practice swing," Funk said. "As long as I turn the whole way, it takes the stress off the shoulder. So I don't hit too many punch shots any more. That shot is basically out of my game."

Judging by yesterday's numbers, he doesn't need it.

Funk birdied three holes on the front nine to get to 12 under, then birdied No. 13 to take the lead. After a bogey on 14, he retook the lead on the par-4 16th when he made a 20-foot birdie putt and Norman bogeyed after missing the fairway and pushing an 18-foot par putt to the right.

Funk has a chance to make amends for last week's playoff loss at the Senior British Open.

"I'm just trying to, really, to enjoy it, really let myself go," he said. "I was really disappointed last Sunday when I missed a couple of putts. I don't want to play defensive, so you've got to go out there and play your game."

The wild round saw four players — Funk, Norman, Sindelar and 50-year-old amateur Tim Jackson — all take the lead and all surrender it after first reaching 13 under.