THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Eight victories and two majors for Tiger Woods made 2006 one of his best years on the PGA Tour, although he can always find room for improvement. His chief concern is consistency with his putting.

"This is one of the only years I've ever had that," Woods said Friday after a 4-under 68 that turned a four-shot deficit into a one-shot lead over Henrik Stenson in the Target World Challenge. "I've been very streaky this year, and the tournaments I've putted well, I've won."

That's why he was far from comfortable being atop the leaderboard at Sherwood Country Club.

The two birdie putts that were pivotal in his rally might have been two of his worst strokes of the sunny afternoon. Fortunately for Woods, the hole got in the way.

First came an unlikely two-shot swing at No. 9, where Woods trailed by four shots. He hammered his 40-foot birdie putt so hard that it looked as though it might go off the green. Instead, it banged into the back of the cup and went airborne briefly before plopping into the hole. On the next hole, with a putt slightly longer, it was gaining steam when it found the center of the cup.

"Two lucky breaks," said Woods, who was at 8-under 136 and in good position to win this tournament for the third time in eight years.