Ashes fell from the sky, smoke filled the air and a thick haze hovered over PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Some might have found breathing difficult at the Honda Classic. Camilo Villegas wasn't among them.

Once threatening to run away after a sizzling start, Villegas came back to the pack on his back nine and wound up rallying to take a three-shot lead Saturday over Nathan Green and Vijay Singh after three rounds. Villegas is at 11-under 199, so even after making three bogeys in a five-hole stretch in what became a round of 67, he will be the one to catch today.

"I'm sleeping in my own bed this week, which is always nice," said Villegas, one of many tour players who call South Florida home. "I've been nice and relaxed. So we'll show up tomorrow the same way and try to play some good golf."

Green (67) and Singh (69) are at 8 under, while George McNeill (66) and Matt Every (69) were tied for fourth at 6 under. Anthony Kim, who shared the 36-hole lead with Villegas, shot 73 and wound up six shots back entering the final round, tied with Michael Connell (69).

It's not over, Villegas quickly pointed out.

"Golf tournaments are four days," Villegas said. "So with that said, you've got to put four good rounds together and see what happens at the end."

All the talk before the tournament was about the difficulty of the course, before conversations Thursday shifted to the gusting breezes and how they left players guessing.

A controlled burn yesterday left its mark on the Honda.

A planned fire in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, about 14 miles north of PGA National Resort and Spa, made an already tough course even tougher. The wind shifted a bit after the fire started, sending thick plumes of smoke, ash and haze down directly toward the course. Play wasn't halted, though the day was clearly affected.

• Toshiba Classic: Fred Couples moved into position for his second consecutive Champions Tour victory, shooting a 7-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead in Newport Beach, Calif. Couples, making his third start on the tour, had a 12-under 130 total. Tom Lehman (65) and Taiwan's Chien Soon Lu (67) were in second.

• Malaysian Open: Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand stayed in the hunt for his first Asian Tour title, shooting a 4-under 68 for a share of the lead with Rhys Davies (71) of Wales after the third round in Kuala Lumpur. Kiradech birdied three of his final four holes and is 11 under heading into the final round.

• Australian Ladies Masters: Six-time champion Karrie Webb birdied the final hole for an 8-under 64 and a one-stroke lead in Gold Coast. Webb hit a 6-iron from a fairway bunker over a tree and on the green, then holed the 15-foot putt to finish at 15-under 201 for three rounds. South Korea's Lee Bo-mee (63) and defending champion Katherine Hull (65) were a stroke back.

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