Roberts takes control with 63

While most of golf's top players cool their heels in Scotland, Loren Roberts is spending the weekend destroying Brown Deer Park again.

With solid drives, several outstanding putts and one spectacular eagle, Roberts shot an 8-under-par 63 on today to take the lead into the final round of the Greater Milwaukee Open.

A three-day score of 194 put Roberts 19 shots under par and tied the tournament record for 54 holes. He held a two-stroke lead over Franklin Langham and a four-stroke margin over Frank Lickliter.

Roberts has won more than $500,000 in 17 previous trips to Milwaukee, and he bookended his 1996 title with runner-up finishes in 1995 and 1997. Afterward, Roberts wore the self-conscious smile of a player too modest to admit he's at the top of his game.

``It was a fun day,'' Roberts said. ``I holed some long putts, made some big shots. I hit a couple of poor shots, but still did pretty well even with those shots.''

Langham (196) eagled the 18th hole to halve Roberts' lead and finish with a 64. Lickliter (198) led much of the day but bogeyed two of his last four holes to finish with a 67.

Roberts, who shared the lead with Lickliter at 11 under after 36 holes, matched Jesper Parnevik's 1996 GMO record for the lowest 54-hole score. On Sunday, he'll go after Carlos Franco's 1999 record final score of 20 under.

``If I can shoot 5 under tomorrow, that should probably take care of itself,'' Roberts said.

When the GMO was moved last year to the week before the British Open, Roberts never considered canceling his annual trip to Wisconsin for the sake of extra practice for the major. His reasons were obvious on Saturday at Brown Deer Park, a course he said perfectly suits his game.

From the 160-yard approach shot that bounced once on the green and went straight in the hole for an eagle on No. 13, to the 45-foot putt that banged hard off the back lip of the cup but dropped in on No. 14, Roberts was rolling.

His 63 was two strokes off the GMO single-round record of 61, set last year by Steve Lowery.

``Loren can roll his ball,'' Lickliter said. ``He made some bombs today.''

Roberts got most of the support from a raucous gallery that followed the three leaders around Brown Deer Park. They put on a show worth watching: as the day's final grouping, Roberts, Langham and Lickliter combined to shoot 19-under-par on Saturday.

``There was a lot of whooping and hollering out there,'' Roberts said. ``That was great. It was nice to feel like I had some hometown support. It's nice to interact with the fans.''

They'll play together again on Sunday, when Roberts will try for his first victory since last year's Byron Nelson Classic.

An eagle on the par-4 13th hole was the highlight of Roberts' round. His 160-foot approach shot bounced on the green and leaped into the cup without even rattling the flagstick, prompting a raucous cheer from the large gallery following the 1996 GMO champion around the course.

The gallery also cheered Langham, who moved to 17 under for the tournament with a six-birdie, no-bogey round and cut Roberts' lead from four strokes to two with a 25-foot eagle putt on 18. He said Brown Deer's generous playing conditions meant only aggressive players will contend for the title.

``Even four shots back, I would have felt like I had a chance on Sunday,'' Langham said. ``There are some birdies out there to be made.''

While Langham admitted to a bit of gawking at Roberts' play - particularly the eagle - Lickliter said he tried to ignore the distractions. Like Langham, Lickliter is looking for his first tour victory.

``For someone to pass (Roberts), it could take a 62 or a 63,'' Lickliter said. ``That's something possible out here.''

Joey Gullion, seven strokes off the lead entering the day, matched Roberts' 63 and moved into a four-way tie for sixth place. He had just one birdie, one eagle and seven pars on his first nine holes, but hit five birdies on the next nine and just missed another on his last hole when a 10-foot putt lipped out.

Corey Pavin, the 1995 U.S. Open champion Roberts described as his own ``sentimental favorite'' to win the GMO, shot a third-round 69, putting him in 10th place.

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