Tiger Woods rarely needs a helping hand to win major titles or world championships, but he received more than one in Akron last night.

First, overnight leader Rory Sabbatini started his third round at the Bridgestone Invitational with a double-bogey six. Then Masters champion Zach Johnson, sharing top spot with the South African after eight holes, collapsed to a nightmare quadruple-bogey eight.

To the surprise of nobody, it was the world number one who was in position to take advantage.

Woods, playing on one of his happiest hunting grounds, returned a one-under 69 and now has another piece of history in his sights.

Already a five-time winner at the Firestone Country Club, Woods can become the first player in US Tour history to capture a tournament three years in a row twice.

Champion in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and then again the last two years the 31-year-old, who also defends the US PGA title in Tulsa next week and hopes to make that his 13th major, resumed four off the pace.

But, despite bogeying the last after hooking his drive into the trees, his three-under-par aggregate of 207 left him only one behind Sabbatini, who steadied after his rocky opening to score a two over 72.

"I'm very satisfied," said Woods. "I would have taken anything under par. The course was playing brutal.

"But that's how I like playing golf. You have to think, shape shots and grind it out. You have to hit the ball well, chip well and putt well."

Eight-foot birdie putts on the fourth and sixth holes gave Woods an outward 33 and after visiting two bunkers for a bogey at the 10th he came straight back with a 12-footer for his third birdie.

Sabbatini - two ahead of Johnson overnight and joint runner-up, with Woods, to him at Augusta in April - pulled his opening drive into sand, hit a tree with his second and then came up short of the green en route to his six.

But that was nothing compared to what happened to Johnson on the ninth.

His drive was pushed into rough, his second found some more the other side of the fairway and his third went into sand. From there he thinned his ball over the green, fluffed two chips and in the end had to make a five-footer to keep a nine off his card.

When he followed it with a double-bogey Johnson became just another member of the chasing pack. A pack led by 47-year-old American Kenny Perry on one under.

Justin Rose held fourth place when he began the back nine with back-to-back birdies, but the 27-year-old double-bogeyed the 13th, missing the green with a sand wedge, and three-putted the 18th for a 71 that left him two over and in a tie for 11th.

For a while it looked as though Open champion Padraig Harrington was going to be the player to grab the spotlight.

Joint 15th at halfway the Dubliner climbed into a share of third with Woods with three birdies in his first five holes, but he then double-bogeyed the next and bogeyed the seventh and ninth.

With another shot dropped on the last Harrington was round in a two over 72 for a three over total. He is in a tie for 14th.

Lee Westwood failed to find any inspiration partnering Woods.

The Worksop golfer, who led the European challenge on one under after two rounds, bogeyed the third, sixth and seventh and simply could not stop the slide.

Four more bogeys came on the inward half and when he closed with a double bogey it added up to a 79 and an eight over aggregate.

Paul Casey, meanwhile, managed only a 76 to drop outside the top 20 from ninth. He had a double-bogey six at the 11th, where he was twice in the rough and then chipped into a bunker, and also finished with another after tangling with the rough again.

One European to play well was Luke Donald, who gave his confidence a boost ahead with a 67. But that came from a starting position of 10 over.

With showers and thunderstorms forecast for the final round tournament officials decided to bring forward the tee-off times.

Players will tee off in threes off both the first and 10th holes, with the leaders going out at 10.10am local time (3.10pm BST).