ORLANDO, Fla. - Tiger Woods is trying to set a record by winning the Bay Hill Invitational for the fifth straight year. That no longer looks likely unless he can match an old record.

By the time he finished his 2-over 74 Friday, an adventure that took him out of bounds and into the trees, Woods found himself nine shots behind Shigeki Maruyama, with 25 other players in between.

"I just need to play well and put myself in a position where I can give it a run Sunday," Woods said.

But what followed sounded like he was resigned to someone else posing with Arnold Palmer and the trophy.

"If the leaders play well, hats off to them," Woods said. "I just need to take care of my own business."

Woods' largest comeback after 36 holes also was nine strokes, in the 1999 Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines.

Maruyama's 36-hole lead at Bay Hill was almost as surprising as Woods being so far down the leaderboard. The Japanese star had never broken 70 the three previous times he played in the Bay Hill Invitational, but he looks like he has a home down one of the fairways this week.

Maruyama shot a second straight 66, and at 12-under 132 had a two-shot lead over Darren Clarke, Chad Campbell and Stuart Appleby going into the weekend.

He strung together three straight birdies, none more spectacular than the 7-wood into 3 feet on the par-3 17th. And despite three-putting for bogey on his final hole at No. 9, Maruyama was feeling good about his game and his chances.

"Just got used to the golf course," Maruyama said. "Also, I changed my swing. Now, I'm confident in my swing, so I rarely hit the waters. I just hit where I aim."

Of course, he'll feel a lot better about his chances after Saturday, and some of that depends how Woods fares.

Maruyama was among the 36-hole leaders at Torrey Pines four years ago, when Woods was trying to win his seventh consecutive PGA Tour event. Asked then if he could end Woods' streak, Maruyama smiled and said, "No chance."

Indeed, he joined Woods as the runners-up to Phil Mickelson in that Buick Invitational.

On Friday, Maruyama again showed deference when asked if he was the guy to end Woods' reign at Bay Hill.

"Very difficult question," he said, smiling again. "Maybe eight shots from Tiger Woods after the third round, I would have a good chance."

Maruyama is sneaky funny, and quietly one of the top players.

He is among only five players to have won at least once on the PGA Tour every year since 2001, the others being Woods, Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen and Justin Leonard.

He also holds the distinction of being the first guy to earn over $1 million his first four years on tour, although Woods played only eight times his rookie year, back in 1996 when a dollar still meant something.

"That makes him definitely more recognizable to me," Campbell said.

Clarke had a chance to share the lead when he had a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, but he three-putted for bogey, dropping him to a 68. It took him a while to cool off, but Clarke saw the big picture.

"I'm only two shots back going into the weekend, which is not bad," he said.

Appleby holed a 30-foot birdie putt on his final hole, No. 9, for a 67.

Campbell could be the man to watch on the weekend.

A rock-solid Texan and one of the rising stars on the PGA Tour, he has kept mistakes to a minimum. Campbell escaped serious trouble on the first hole, making a 6-footer for bogey, but he chipped in for birdie on the par-3 second hole for the second straight day and finished with a 68.

Again, the loudest cheers were for his partner - Palmer, who can still put on a show.

The 74-year-old tournament host, likely playing in his last Bay Hill Invitational, hit driver from the fairway on No. 18 and chased it up the green to about 30 feet. He got his par for a 79, the first time he has broken 80 at his tournament in three years.

"He's still got some game," Campbell said.

While it was a treat to play with the King for two days, nothing beats posing with him Sunday when Palmer hands over the trophy and the $900,000 check.

"That would be awesome," Campbell said. "But I've got a lot of work ahead of me. I would like the opportunity to be there."

No one has their work cut out for them quite like Woods.

Maruyama was already done with his 66 when Woods teed off, and it was as clear as the blue skies over Bay Hill that scoring conditions again were benign.

None of that mattered to Woods, who flared a 3-wood out-of-bounds by about 6 inches on No. 11, leading to double bogey. He hit into the trees on No. 15 and had to pitch out sideways, leading to another bogey. And when he tried to get back in the game, Woods missed a 2-foot birdie putt on No. 6.

"I tried to battle back," Woods said. "I didn't hit it quite good enough to put myself in position to make putts, and when I did it, I missed."

Now, Woods might be missing out on another chance to make history.

AP-ES-03-20-04 0417EST