GOLF: Scott Verplank eagled the 18th hole to share the lead after round three of the Mercedes Championships in Hawaii, as Tiger Woods (with a 74) fell 10 shots off the pace.

Verplank took full advantage of the generous par-five 18th to move alongside Kenny Perry on the 13-under-par mark of 206. The eagle gave Verplank a three-under-par 70 while Perry carded a 71.

Chris DiMarco matched the day's low round with a 68 and was tied with second-round leader David Toms at 207.

Mark Calcavecchia was alone in fifth at 10-under 209, with Sergio Garcia - who equalled DiMarco's score - and David Duval another shot back.

This $2.8 million event officially kicks off the 2002 PGA season and includes 32 tournament winners from last year fighting for the $500,000 top prize.

Verplank's round got off to a rocky start with bogeys at the first two holes. But he regrouped to post birdies at three of the next seven. He seemed poised to pull away from the pack when he birdied the 12th and 13th but gave back those two strokes with a wild double-bogey at 14.

He recovered to par the next three holes and grabbed a share of the lead by rolling home a 15-footer for eagle at the last.

Perry's round was not nearly as eventful. He picked up birdies at the third and ninth but three-putted at the fifth to make the turn at one-under.

He picked up a stroke at 13, draining a 10-footer for birdie, but his opportunity to stand alone atop the leaderboard vanished when he could not convert a birdie opportunity at the final hole.

"I'm excited with the way I'm hitting the golf ball," said Perry. I'm driving it well, hitting my irons solid, putting well."

The 31-year-old, who ended a six-year drought with a win at the 2001 Buick Open, has won just two of seven tournaments he has led through 54 holes.

DiMarco sank a 12-footer for birdie at the 13th and picked up strokes on five of the final six holes.