GOLF:TIGER WOODS stayed alive in the US PGA Tour's play-offs when he compiled a tidy final round at the Deutsche Bank Championship yesterday.

Woods birdied three of the final four holes for a three-under-par 68 in pleasant conditions at the Boston TPC.

He finished at 10-under 274, which should place him around 12th place at the end of the day.

Woods also ensured he would be among the top 70 players on the FedEx Cup points list to advance to this week’s BMW Championship in suburban Chicago.

He will go into the third of four play-off events at about 50th place on the list.

“I’m very satisfied. The things we’ve been working on are starting to come together,” Woods said, referring to his swing changes with coach Sean Foley.

“I started feeling more comfortable. I’m able to fix it on the golf course. That’s the biggest thing. When I hit a couple of bad shots I’m able to rectify it.”

Woods, meanwhile, looked certain to remain world number one. He was in a tie for 14th, but Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker were not where they had to be to take over at the head of the rankings for the first time.

Stricker had to win, but turned in a tie for seventh, while Mickelson, for whom a top-three finish would do it, took two penalty drops on the 10th, triple-bogeyed the hole and fell alongside Woods.

Rory McIlroy finished on four under par after a level 71. That left him just inside the top 40 in the tournament and around 30th in the points race.

But things were looking bad for Pádraig Harrington as he waited to learn whether he was among the top-70 who qualify for next week’s event in Chicago.

Harrington missed the cut on Saturday and was lying in 74th place on the points table.

Meanwhile, European Ryder Cup pick Luke Donald and American Charley Hoffman shared the lead more than halfway through the final round.

They were 18-under after 11 holes.