The former world number one, despite not being entirely happy with his ball-striking, moved three shots clear after firing a three-under-par 70 in a breezy third round at the Kapalua Resort.

Runner-up here twice in the last three years, Fijian Singh rattled up five birdies and two bogeys for a 54-hole total of 11-under 208 in the PGA Tour’s season-opening event.

Scott, winner of the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta two months ago, birdied five of the last seven holes for a 69 and a share of second place with South Africa’s Trevor Immelman (72).

Little-known MacKenzie slipped back after a steady performance over the front nine, a 73 leaving him tied for fourth at seven under with big-hitting compatriot J.B. Holmes (71).

‘’The scoring was good but the ball-striking wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be,’’ Singh, 43, told reporters after failing to birdie the par-five last for the third day in a row.

‘’I’m a little disappointed about the 18th. It’s like giving shots away but, hopefully, tomorrow I’ll get that right.

Singh, who ended Tiger Woods’s five-year reign as world number one in September 2004 before finishing that season with a remarkable haul of nine victories, has not won a PGA Tour title when leading after 54 holes since the 2005 Buick Open.

‘’If I succeed in striking the ball the way I want to, I think the results are going to be there,’’ he added. ‘’I think I have more knowledge about this golf course than anybody else out here so I’m going to make good use of that.’’

Scott and Immelman know they face a tough task in trying to prevent the Fijian from clinching his 30th PGA Tour title.

‘’Vijay is going to be difficult to catch and I need a really good score tomorrow,’’ Scott said after posting one of only four sub-70 scores in the gusting trade winds.

Immelman has set his sights on a closing 65 in his bid for a second PGA Tour victory.

‘’I’ve come from three behind to win tournaments,’’ the 27-year-old said. ‘’Vijay is playing well so I would think I need to shoot in the mid-sixties, maybe 65, to have an outside chance.’’

Singh, who has triumphed only once in his last 35 PGA Tour starts, began the day one stroke clear of the chasing pack.

After bogeying the treacherous 218-yard second, the most difficult par-three hole on last year’s PGA Tour, he twice surrendered his lead to MacKenzie over the first seven holes.

Helped by a curling 50-foot birdie putt at the par-three eighth, Singh regained his one-shot cushion by reaching the turn in one-under 35 before tightening his grip on the tournament.

He hit a superb approach to within six feet of the flag at the par-four 14th to forge three ahead and rolled in a 19-footer at the par-four 17th to keep Scott at bay.

MacKenzie, a professional kayaker who enjoys snowboarding, surfing and rock climbing, lost momentum over the closing stretch.

A missed three-footer for par at the 11th was the first of three bogeys in five holes before he rallied with a birdie at the par-five last.

‘’It was a rollercoaster day but I’m not terribly displeased with how I played,’’ said the 32-year-old from North Carolina, who qualified for the winners-only field at Kapalua with his maiden PGA Tour victory at last year’s Reno-Tahoe Open.

This week’s event launches the inaugural FedExCup, a season-long points competition culminating in a four-event playoff series with $ 10 million to be won by the overall champion.