ASSOCIATED PRESS Jonathan Kaye, whose playing partners this week have been Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els, reacted to a missed birdie putt on No. 2 yesterday.

Kaye in good company

KAPALUA, Maui » Jonathan Kaye may be relaxed on the inside as he prepares for today's final round of the $5.3 million Mercedes Championships, just don't expect him to show it.

While playing partners Vijay Singh and Ernie Els are known for their calm demeanors on the golf course, Kaye is one of those guys who fidgets and fiddles over a tap-in, which may offer an interesting contrast in styles as this unlikely threesome tours the final 18 holes.

Fortunately for Kaye, he was partnered with Singh on Thursday, Tiger Woods on Friday and Els yesterday, so it's unlikely this two-time winner on the PGA Tour will throw up before teeing off early this morning.

"It's been a fun week," Kaye said in his rapid-style delivery. "I got to play with Nos. 1, 2, 3 in the world in consecutive order. You know, it's just been an enjoyable time, getting to go watch their games.

"It was fun to watch the ease of Vijay's round. Me, I'm on an emotional roller coaster, man. And how well Tiger was the second day, struggling. And then Ernie got on fire early out of the gates today and then just kind of couldn't hang onto it on the back. But it was fun to watch them play and just see how my game stacks up to theirs."

After shooting a sizzling 7-under 66 to move within a shot of the lead, it stacked up pretty well. Is he surprised to be in the final group of this prestigious winners-only event?

"Surprise me?" Kaye said. "Not really. But maybe it surprised you guys. Everyone is out here trying to win the tournament. It doesn't really matter who is in the way. You've just got to go about your business and do your thing, not get caught up in what other people are doing."

Kaye had a hard time keeping up with Els during the early portion of yesterday's round. After only four holes, Els moved to 15 under for the tournament with Kaye four shots behind him at 11 under. Even at the turn after he birdied the par-5 ninth for his first hole in the red and Els bogeyed it, he still found himself down to Els by three and Singh by four.

But that birdie did something for Kaye. After a par on the 10th, he birdied the next four holes en route to a 6-under 31 on the back to move to 18-under 201 for the tournament. Singh is one shot ahead at 200 and Els is one shot behind at 202.

"I think I had 18 putts on the front nine, is that good?" Kaye said, then smiled. "The difference on the back nine was I started hitting closer and I was below the hole. I was able to be aggressive. A lot of putts on the front nine were long and where you are just trying to get it close and not do anything stupid."

Kaye has done little wrong this week. Winning the Phoenix Open in his hometown to qualify for this tournament, the 34-year-old finished 34th on the money list with $1.7 million. A 10-year veteran, Kaye isn't exactly a PGA Tour name, but that could change if he stares down the barrel of Els and Singh.

"I don't know, you'd have to ask them that," Kaye said when asked what Els, Woods and Singh would say about being partnered with him. "Hopefully, they had a good time; I know I did. It would be great to win this opener, I know that. You could take the rest of the year off."