Golf:Heath Slocum fired a third straight 66 to establish a one-shot lead at the McGladrey Classic at Sea Island, Georgia. The American moved onto 12-under-par with one round to go to lie ahead of fellow countrymen Troy Merritt and Joe Durant.
Slocum carded five birdies before picking up a bogey on the par-four 16th hole. He admitted his approach has not changed even though the field for the tournament is not as strong as some.
"It's still a golf tournament," Slocum said on www.pgatour.com. "I've always tried to play in my head like a golf tournament is a golf tournament, no matter if it's a major, a Playoff event or Fall Series event.
"It still means the same to me. Still ultimately what I'm trying to do is win a tournament."
He added: "I made some putts, and that I would say is the formula to get around this place; you're going to hit fairways, get away with a few of your misses and make a few putts.
"Every shot from this point on was going to be huge, every shot you save, every putt you make."
Merritt opened with three straight birdies and shot three more on his way to a 64, while Durant went round in 68, with four straight birdies from the seventh to the 10th and two bogeys.
David Toms, the leader after the second round, shot a level-par 70 to lie on 10 under, two shots off the pace. He had been on course to join Slocum at the top of the leaderboard but bogeys at the 14th and 15th saw him slip back.
Four players - Bill Haas, Aron Price, Brian Stuard and John Senden - followed on nine under.
Haas carded a 65 and Price a 66, while Stuard and Senden both went round in 67.
Collated third round scores & totals in the USPGA Tour The McGladrey Classic, Seaside Course, Sea Island, United States of America
(USA unless stated, par 70):
198Heath Slocum 66 66 66
199Joe Durant 65 66 68, Troy Merritt 64 71 64
200David Toms 64 66 70
201Brian Stuard 67 67 67, Bill Haas 67 69 65, John Senden (Aus) 69 65 67, Aron Price (Aus) 66 69 66
202Arjun Atwal (Ind) 70 65 67, Robert Allenby (Aus) 68 68 66, Jeff Quinney 67 67 68, Davis Love III 70 67 65, James Nitties (Aus) 68 66 68, Tom Pernice Jnr. 70 67 65
203Brendon De Jonge 71 66 66, Alex Hamilton 69 66 68, Bo Van Pelt 68 69 66, Ken Duke 69 70 64, Kevin Sutherland 70 64 69, Johnson Wagner 70 66 67
204Justin Leonard 66 72 66, Jarrod Lyle (Aus) 70 69 65, Zach Johnson 70 66 68, Chad Collins 73 66 65, Brian Gay 68 65 71, Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 66 67 71, Graham Delaet (Can) 68 71 65, Rocco Mediate 70 69 65, Webb Simpson 69 68 67
205Jerry Kelly 74 63 68, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 67 71 67, Pat Perez 68 70 67, Chris DiMarco 69 67 69, Matt Kuchar 67 70 68, Scott Piercy 71 66 68, Matthew Jones (Aus) 71 65 69, Mark Wilson 70 67 68, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 68 68 69, J.B. Holmes 69 70 66, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 68 70 67, Chad Campbell 70 68 67, Steve Marino 67 71 67, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 69 68 68, Rich Barcelo 65 67 73
206Chris Kirk 68 69 69, Charlie Wi (Kor) 67 71 68, John Rollins 63 71 72, Paul Stankowski 67 72 67, Woody Austin 70 69 67, Ben Curtis 69 69 68, Michael Connell 69 66 71, Cliff Kresge 69 69 68
207Michael Letzig 65 71 71, Michael Bradley 70 69 68, Scott McCarron 68 69 70, Steve Lowery 71 68 68, Todd Hamilton 67 69 71, Michael O'neal 70 68 69, Charles Howell III 70 65 72, Will MacKenzie 70 66 71, Jeff Maggert 67 69 71, Kevin Stadler 69 69 69, Tim Petrovic 69 70 68
209Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 70 69 70, Brett Quigley 67 71 71, Billy Mayfair 69 69 71, Tom Gillis 68 70 71, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 70 67 72
210Chris Stroud 67 69 74
211Jonathan Byrd 68 68 75, James Driscoll 71 68 72, Blake Adams 68 71 72
213Steve Flesch 68 70 75