Ames moves into top 20 of WGC

AKRON, Ohio: Trinidad and Tobago-born Stephen Ames climbed back into the top 20 after three rounds of the US $7 million World Golf Championship Invitational on Saturday. The 40-year-old Canadian resident, who began the tournament with a 69 and 70, birdied the second, eighth and 12th holes for a third round 69 that contained bogeys on the seventh and 18th holes. Ames, the World No 18, is nine strokes behind leader Stewart Cink of the United States, who increased his lead to five shots with a third round 68 and will try for a wire-to-wire victory yesterday.

World No 1 Tiger Woods is one of three players tied for second, after three birdies and three bogeys in a round of 70 and seems set to retain his World No 1 ranking with Vijay Singh and Ernie Els way behind him. USPGA champion Singh, who had to finish better than Woods to overtake him.