KAPALUA, Maui — Kane'ohe's Dean Wilson rallied yesterday with a 1-under 72, pulling into 30th place at the Mercedes-Benz Championship at 11-over 230.

Wilson opened 80-78 in his Mercedes-Benz debut with just three birdies. He had three yesterday — draining an 18-footer on the 17th and a 12-footer to birdie the closing hole for the third day in a row. He had 30 putts, 10 fewer than Thursday.

"I was maybe a better judge of the wind today," Wilson said. "I misjudged it just once when I bogeyed the short hole (No. 8)."

That was forgotten when Wilson launched in a 40-footer for birdie on the ninth. He had six one-putts, and a much better feeling about this week's Sony Open in Hawai'i.

"It's coming together," Wilson said. "It's going to be nice to get some rounds under my belt and be ready for next week. It feels good."

Tiger tale: What is Tiger Woods worth? Attendance-wise at Kapalua, about 33 percent.

In the last five years, Mercedes-Benz attendance has averaged a little more than 27,000 a week when Woods was here and just under 18,000 the two years he was not.

With the dicey weather and Woods' absence this year, attendance has been lower yet the first two days.

A little more than 2,000 showed for Friday's rain-delayed round. Last time Tiger was here, in 2005, more than 4,700 came to watch the second round.

NOTES

Vijay Singh has taken a lead into the final round 28 times in his 15 seasons, and won 17 times. He failed in his last two attempts. ... Singh's three-shot advantage is the largest third-round lead since the tournament moved here in 1999 and David Duval turned a five-shot lead into a nine-stroke victory. ... Half the players in the top 10 are Mercedes-Benz rookies. ... Three-time defending champion Stuart Appleby shares 10th, nine shots back. Appleby trailed Singh by four when he won in 2005. ... There have been a dozen 400-yard-plus drives this week.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.