Perry extends lead to five

Kenny Perry fired his second consecutive eight-under 64 on Saturday to extend his lead to five strokes over Jim Furyk and Padraig Harrington after 54 holes of the Buick Open at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club.

His three-day total of 22-under-par 194 established a new 54-hole record for this event, besting Robert Wrenn's 1987 mark by one shot. Perry also tied the tournament's nine-hole record for the second consecutive day with a 29 on the back nine, and tied the record for the best 36 holes played in the 43 years of this tournament with his 128 over the second and third rounds.

Justin Leonard fashioned the lowest round on Saturday with a nine-under 63 to tie for fourth with Chris DiMarco and Bob Tway at minus-16.

Perry held a small lead over the field when he reached the par-five 16th hole. His drive found the left side of the fairway and he tried to reach the green in two with a three-iron from 236 yards out, but his approach landed in a front right bunker.

The 41-year-old, who celebrated his birthday with a 64 on Friday, blasted onto the green and already raised his hands to celebrate eight feet before the ball finally fell into the cup for an eagle three.

Perry added an eight-foot birdie at No. 17 before finishing with a birdie at the closing hole to make tournament history.

Perry can earn his fourth career victory on the PGA Tour on Sunday and his first since the 1995 Bob Hope Classic. With a five-under 67, he can break Wrenn's tournament record of 262.

"I just want to win," said Perry. "If it's setting a tournament record or not setting a tournament record, if it gets the job done and wins the golf tournament that is all that matters to me. It has been five years since I have won, and I am really hungry to win again. That's the only thing on my mind is winning a golf tournament again."

Perry's round got off to an fast start with three consecutive birdies. He bogeyed No. 4 but came back with a 25-foot birdie at the fifth. Perry bogeyed six and made it two in a row when he missed a three-foot par save at the seventh.

Leonard finished his round at 16-under par after he birdied the last two holes and took the outright lead for the championship. Perry matched him at the top of the leaderboard with a three-foot birdie putt at 11 and then took the lead with another three-footer at 12 to go to 17-under.

Perry ran into some trouble, starting at the 13th. He reached the par-five green in two but ran his eagle try two feet past the hole. Perry then pushed his short birdie try right to card a par.

At the driveable, par-four 14th, Perry drove short of the green into the left rough. His chip shot was obscured by hanging tree so he played 35 feet right of the hole but left his birdie try five feet short. Perry made the putt for his second disappointing par in a row.

Perry hit a low eight-iron from 144 yards at 15 that landed five feet from the cup to set up birdie before he finished four-under over his last three holes.

"It was so much of a roller-coaster round for me today," he said. "I have been playing really good golf. It is just a matter I am starting to make a few more putts. I think that has been the big difference and why my scores have gotten better."

Harrington, a European Tour regular, was flawless on Saturday with a seven- under 65. He birdied four holes in a row on his back nine to jump into a tie for second place.

Furyk, who is trying to qualify for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, carded six birdies to no bogeys on Saturday for a 66.

"I am happy about the way I played," said Furyk. "You can only go out there and worry about your own game. It is nice to know towards the end of the day if you have got yourself in contention."

Brian Wilson and Tom Pernice, Jr., last week's winner at The International, share seventh at 15-under-par 201.

Craig Perks is alone in ninth at minus-14.

Phil Mickelson struggled to a one-under 71 and is tied for 33rd at 10-under par.

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