SONOMA, Calif. -- Jim Thorpe stayed steady while the other contenders moved up and down the leaderboard Saturday, finishing the third round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship with a two-stroke lead over Jay Haas, Tom Kite and Loren Roberts.

Thorpe parlayed four straight birdies after the turn into a 5-under 67, leaving him two shots ahead of second-round leader Kite -- as well as Haas and Roberts, the Champions Tour's top two players throughout the season. All four contenders still are in prime position to claim the $440,000 first prize in the season-ending event.

Thorpe, the first-round leader and the 2003 champion in Sonoma, improved to 13-under 203 by converting his putts and avoiding big mistakes before reaching the fast greens at Sonoma Golf Club.

"I need to go out and shoot another 5-under-par round," Thorpe said. "We all know Jay can take it low, and Tom Kite is a beautiful golfer. I'm going to take some chances. I'm going to go out pin-hunting and force the action."

Thorpe trailed Haas by four strokes at the turn, but the Tour money leader was all over the board despite more mild weather in Northern California wine country.

Haas made two eagles in his round, but also went 10 straight holes without a par, giving up an early three-shot lead with three consecutive bogeys.

Haas shot a 69, while Kite hung tough through an inconsistent round for a 70. Roberts, who trails Haas by just 126 points in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup competition for a $1 million annuity, had a bogey-free 68, but missed several chances to challenge playing partner Thorpe atop the leaderboard.

"I'm a little surprised I'm only two back," Roberts said. "I thought Jay and Tom were off to the races. I guess it's going to be a shootout."

Haas and Roberts both shot 66s on Friday to tighten up the field behind first-round leader Thorpe, who won this tournament in 2003.

Haas' third round was every bit as up-and-down as the last few weeks for his beloved St. Louis Cardinals, who overcame a late-season losing streak to win the World Series on Friday night.

Haas, who grew up in St. Louis, had four birdies and an eagle on the front nine, capping an impressive stretch with a long downhill birdie putt on the ninth. But he cooled off at the turn, making five bogeys and two birdies on the next seven holes -- including three consecutive bogeys at 14, 15 and 16 to lose the lead to Thorpe.

While Haas was brilliant and awful, Thorpe was remarkably steady. He finished his round with five straight pars while Haas struggled in the pairing behind him.

Tom Watson, who won both the tournament and the Charles Schwab Cup last year, charged back into contention with a 67, pulling to 9-under 207. He got a boost from the presence of his daughter, Meg, who's in her final year of business school at Stanford.

"I haven't made many bogeys out here when Meg's around," said Watson, who rallied from a six-shot deficit in the final round last year to win -- also with Meg in the gallery.

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