Tiger caught by Harrington in Miyazaki rain

MIYAZAKI, Japan, Nov 18 (Reuters) Tiger Woods made a clutch final-hole birdie to reclaim a share of the lead at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament after today's rain-soaked third round.

The world number one, bidding for a third straight title in Miyazaki, nailed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th in a two-over-par 72 to finish level with Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who fired 71.

Both players go into the final round tied at six-under 204 with more heavy rain forecast for the southern Japanese resort tomorrow.

Woods has an intimidating 38-3 record going into the final round of tournaments with at least a share of the lead and will be chasing a 10th title of the year tomorrow.

Japan's Shingo Katayama begins the final round two strokes off the pace after carding a 71, with countryman Takuya Taniguchi on three under following the day's best effort of 68.

Woods had surrendered his overnight lead with a six on the par-four seventh, where his second shot plugged in the downslope of a bunker and he was forced to blast out backwards.

Further bogeys followed on 10 and 17 but the 12-times major winner showed nerves of steel on the 18th after his tee shot had come to rest behind a tree, forcing him to chip out sideways.

Woods salvaged a potentially costly situation by smashing a five-wood onto the green with his third shot and calmly rolling in a tricky left-to-right putt for birdie.

''I said to Tiger on the green that it was worth coming out for that one shot alone today,'' Harrington said of Woods's third shot on 18.

''That's why he's number one in the world. But I felt like I had the opportunity to take a two or three-stroke lead, so it's a little disappointing to be only tied.'' GREAT ESCAPE Woods, meanwhile, felt that he had got out of jail after completing a difficult round in bone-chilling conditions still tied for the lead of the 1.7 million dollars tournament.

''Seeing where our tee shots ended up on 18, I thought I could be three back,'' Woods told reporters.

''But now we're all square. I thought that was a huge way to escape the day.

''At least I knew what I was doing wrong. It's just a matter of fixing it. If you can sprinkle in a couple of birdies it'll be just fine.'' Harrington is all too aware of Woods's remarkable record going into the final round of tournaments as the leader but the 2006 European Order of Merit winner was undaunted.

''I know he's got a very good record when he's leading going into the final round,'' shrugged the world number 11.

''But I don't recall being one of those stats.'' Harrington's main concern was the sudden wet and cold after two days of sunshine in Miyazaki.

''We get days like this in Ireland but we stay indoors,'' he smiled.

''It was a tough day physically and mentally.'' Briton Justin Rose will start tomorrow's final round at two under after a 72, although he was left ruing a costly tripe-bogey on the 17th.

Fellow Englishman Ian Poulter's challenge fizzled out as he slumped to one over par following a 77.

REUTERS SAM RK1515