KAPALUA, Maui — There were so many sub-par scores in yesterday's third round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship that heads were spinning. But when it was over, everyone was still looking up at Geoff Ogilvy in the opening event of the PGA Tour season.

Ogilvy, seemingly in a world of his own on Maui, torched Kapalua's Plantation Course for an 8-under-par 65 yesterday to extend his advantage to six strokes going into this morning's final round. It will begin 3 hours early (8 a.m.) "due to the threat of inclement weather."

Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, is at 19-under for the tournament. Ernie Els' record of 31-under is probably not in danger, particularly with Kona winds expected to kick up and meet rain and possibly thunder storms. But, with the way the Australian is playing and his penchant for fiercely protecting leads, there might also be little danger of anyone catching him.

Yesterday's mild Kona conditions brought in a haze that still couldn't hide a barrage of birdies. Ryuji Imada (74), Els and Adam Scott (73) were the only golfers that did not break par. Zach Johnson shot 9-under 64 and didn't even get into the Top 10. More than half the 33 golfers shot in the 60s as the par-73 Plantation played to an average score of 69.152.

Ogilvy never missed a beat, or made a bogey. He has just one this week. Of his eight birdie putts yesterday, only one was from outside 8 feet, including two pitches to kick-in range.

"I was looking at leaderboards on the back nine, but I never saw Geoff's section so I didn't know where I was," said Justin Leonard, who also shot 65 and shares second with D.J. Trahan. "And then when I got to 18 I saw he was at 19-under. It was a little deflating, to say the least."

"I guess it would be," Ogilvy grinned. "I've never actually been this far in front before, but I've been this far behind a lot of times. I've had a lot of deflated looks up at 18. That's the way it goes."

Ogilvy, who has surged into the top 15 on the money list the past three years on this tour, is coming off a win at the Australian PGA last month. His history here, unlike Leonard's, hardly threw a scare into anyone. In two previous starts at Kapalua his average score was 74. His best finish in the limited field was 13th.

This year, the wind has been down and Ogilvy dominant, even in inconsistent conditions.

"Different course than I've ever seen before," Ogilvy said yesterday. "Just a gentle wind in completely the opposite direction that I've ever seen it.

"I haven't played this course with as many birdies out there as I did today so I'm glad I had a good one."

The vast Plantation Course played in Kona winds proved easier. Leonard said there were a "few more opportunities" and characterized the first hole and the last two as dramatically different — he hit an 8-iron into the first green Friday and a 3-iron yesterday.

The seventh hole, a 516-yard downhill par-4 that usually plays downwind, had a few new wrinkles too: Ogilvy's approach shot yesterday was 190 yards, or about 80 more than Friday.

"It's generally automatic on this course, for me anyway," Ogilvy said. "You pull 3-wood out on the first, driver on the fourth, driver on the fifth and you know what you always hit. Today I must have hit six or seven different clubs off tees. I hit an iron off 10 and 13 and I've never done any of that. ... So, it takes a bit of thinking, more than probably we'd like to do."

If the conditions get as radical as forecast today, the thought process could be constant, but still, somebody will have to go very low to catch Ogilvy. Only 10 guys are even within 10 shots.

"He's pretty unflappable," Leonard said. "You look at the way he played at the World Golf Championships at Doral last year. I think he had the lead the entire weekend. ... He just kept playing his game and not worried about who is chasing him and what's going on. He doesn't really have any real weaknesses."

Leonard has history on his side, and is 15-under since opening with a 74. He has won 12 times, was 10th on the money list last year with nearly $4 million and eight top 10s, and has four top 10s at Kapalua. He is also from Texas, and likes the wind more than most.

"I feel like I'm a good wind player," Leonard said. "I hit the ball fairly low and I'm creative. Bouncing balls into greens, it kind of reminds me of my junior golf days. You don't do it a whole lot here, but there are some shots were you have to."

Camilo Villegas, tied for fourth with Davis Love III, Kenny Perry and Anthony Kim, shot 66 yesterday despite a double bogey on the first hole.

"My gosh, what a bad tee shot, second shot, third shot, everything on that first hole," said Villegas, who is trying to win his third straight start, and opened his 2009 season with 37 putts and a round of 74. "Looked like I was going to make an eight but I came back nice."

The comeback included six straight birdies, Nos. 5 to 10.