So far, most of the attention has been on the nearby figure, 152 feet, 2 inches tall. Just about every television camera shot at The Barclays in Jersey City, N.J., has featured the Statue of Liberty. In the final round today, the focus is going to be on someone larger than life.

Yes, Tiger Woods is in the hunt, five shots behind co-leaders Paul Goydos and Steve Marino. Woods smiled a fair amount on Saturday and made some putts, including an 18-foot par save on No. 18 to finish with a 67 for a 4-under-par total in the opening event of the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedEx Cup.

“As of right now, I’ve put myself in the ballgame,” Woods said.

Goydos put together three straight birdies early in the round to build a lead that stood up until Steve Marino ran off three straight late on the cloudy afternoon to catch him for the lead. Both shot 3-under 68 and were at 9-under 204.

Two shots out of the lead were Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson (72) and 24-year-old Webb Simpson, who overcame a triple bogey to shoot 72 and give himself a chance to become the first rookie to win on tour this year.

But Tiger, tied for seventh, might have the top six looking over their shoulders.

“First of all, he’s going to be in front of me, not behind me,” the droll Goydos said. “So I’ll be looking straight ahead.”

Rookie Nordqvist in lead

Rookie Anna Nordqvist’s 3-under 69 moved her into a one shot lead over Seon Hwa Lee and Ai Miyazato going into the final round of the Safeway Classic.

Nordqvist, who won the LPGA Championship earlier this year, was at 10-under 134 after the first two rounds at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore.

Miyazato had three straight birdies on Nos. 8-10, all par-5 holes, to edge up the leaderboard with a 68.

Lee sank a birdie putt on the par-4 18th hole and wound up with a 70.

Michele Redman (69) and Suzann Pettersen (68) were at 8 under.

Se Ri Pak withdrew from the tournament, though no reason was given. Pak shot 3-under 69 in the first round.

17-year-old in U.S. Am final

With each passing day, Byeong-Hun An is making his résumé look more impressive. The 17-year-old South Korean needs only one more win to add a line as the youngest champion in the history of the U.S. Amateur.

An, a senior at Bradenton (Fla.) Preparatory Academy, defeated Fresno State sophomore Bhavik Patel, 3-and-2, in the semifinals at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla.

An has reeled off five straight victories to reach today’s 36-hole final against fourth-seeded Ben Martin of Clemson.

An’s match stayed close until Patel got aggressive midway through the back nine, making bogeys at Nos. 14-15 and then a double-bogey at No. 16.

Martin was in control from the start. Texas senior Charlie Holland bogeyed four of the first six holes as Martin claimed a 4-up lead on his way to a 5-and-4 victory.

The 2010 U.S. Amateur is scheduled to be played at Chambers Bay in University Place.

Elsewhere

Peter Hedblom shot a 4-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead over Paul Lawrie (73) after three rounds at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, Scotland. The 39-year-old Swede was at 8-under 208.