Corey Pavin will need just one more solid round to end a winless streak on the PGA Tour which stretches back to 1996. Pavin fired a two-under-par 68 on Saturday and has a two-shot lead after three rounds of the US Bank Championship.
Without a victory on the PGA Tour since capturing the Colonial in 1996, Pavin recorded five birdies and three bogeys in moving to 17-under, two strokes ahead of Jerry Kelly.
"I'm not out here to finish 20th every week, I want to win a golf tournament," Pavin said. "I've been working really hard for the last 10 years."
Pavin has been in control since starting the tournament on fire Thursday. The 46-year-old set a record for the best nine holes in PGA Tour history by shooting a 26 on the front nine en route to a 61, a record for the Brown Deer Golf Club.
One of 77 players who needed to finish his second round earlier Saturday, the former US Open champion birdied three of his final five holes to grab a four-shot lead midway through, moving to 15-under.
His two-round score matched the lowest in PGA Tour annals, set by Tiger Woods in 2000 and matched by Mark Calcavecchia and Tom Lehman a year later. Pavin did hit some bumps in the third though, bogeying the fourth, fifth and
10th.
Those struggles left the door open for Kelly, who had six birdies in a bogey-free round for a 64.
"I'm striking it well," Kelly said. "I'm just going to stay in position. It's just a matter of getting it done tomorrow."
Frank Lickliter also carded a bogey-free 64 to sit three shots off the lead along with DJ Trahan, who hit a 65.
Nathan Green, who entered the third round in a tie for third, had just three birdies in a round of 67 to drop into a three-way tie with Shaun Micheel (65) and Billy Andrade (66) for fifth at 12-under.
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