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Parnevik
maintains 3 shot advantage
Jesper Parnevik posted a
six-under 66 on Saturday to keep his three-shot lead after three
rounds of the Honda Classic at the TPC at Heron Bay. Parnevik's
three-day score of 18-under 198 set a 54-hole record for this event,
surpassing the previous mark of 200 established by George Burns
in 1982 and matched last year by J.P. Hayes.
Mark Calcavecchia
is alone in second place at 15-under after matching Parnevik's round
of 66. Dan Forsman and first-round co-leader Geoff Ogilvy each carded
rounds of seven-under 65 and share third place at 14-under, while
Lee Janzen had the low round of the day with a course-record-tying,
eight-under 64, moving him into a tie for fifth with John Daly at
minus-13.
Parnevik completed
his record-setting day with a brilliant recovery for a birdie on
the par-four 18th hole. He drove into a fairway bunker on the left
side, then managed hit a five-iron from 198 yards over the flagstick
and over the green.
The colorful
Swede, who wore purple checkered pants on Saturday, flopped his
chip shot on to the fringe and watched as his ball rolled into the
cup for birdie.
"I love to
be in the lead," said Parnevik. "I like the feeling of standing
over every putt to extend the lead."
Parnevik started
a birdie run on Saturday at the par-five fourth, then added back-to-back
birdies at the sixth and seventh. He holed a 20-foot birdie putt
on six and rolled home a four-footer at the next for his third birdie
in four holes.
He birdied
the par-five ninth hole after he landed his second shot in a greenside
bunker and blasted out to two feet, closing the front side with
a four-under 32.
Parnevik, who
is making an hour-long commute from his home this week, made it
consecutive birdies on the turn when he knocked his third shot from
125 yards at the 10th to six feet.
He then ran
home four pars in a row, including a 20-foot save at 13 to stay
at 17-under.
Trouble came
for Parnevik at the par-three 15th. He hit a three- iron short of
the green and chipped to five feet. Parnevik failed to convert the
par effort, which dropped him into a tie for the lead with Calcavecchia
at 16-under.
Parnevik drove
into a fairway bunker off the tee at 16 and with 210 yards to the
stick, roped a five-iron 15 feet past the hole. He left his eagle
try three feet short but holed the birdie putt to reclaim the lead.
Calcavecchia
bogeyed the 17th hole to drop two back and when Parnevik holed the
downhill chip at 18, the lead moved to three.
Calcavecchia,
a two time champion at this event, tied Parnevik at the top of the
leaderboard after a tap-in birdie at 16. Calcavecchia missed left
off the tee at 17 and failed to get up and down from a greenside
bunker to take a bogey.
The 40-year-old
Calcavecchia is off to an impressive start in 2001. He matched the
record for most strokes under par with his victory at the Phoenix
Open in January, but two weeks ago he underwent surgery to repair
damage to his knee.
"I don't know
why," said Calcavecchia, referring to his amazing start of 2001,
which includes nine consecutive rounds in the 60s. "I'm halfway
injured and I'm just trying to go out and have fun. And I am having
fun now."
Ogilvy, coming
off an even-par 72 on Friday, vaulted back into contention with
a bogey-free effort on Saturday. He notched five birdies and one
eagle for his round of 65. Forsman had eight birdies and one bogey
for his 65 and closed his round with five straight birdies for his
share of third place.
Janzen's 64
tied the TPC at Heron Bay course record set five previous times.
He notched three birdies on the front nine and added two to start
the back before reeling off three straight birdies to
Daly, who carded
a 64 in 1998 for his share of the course record, shot a 67 on Saturday
to tie Janzen for fifth place. Daly will try to earn his first victory
since his playoff win at the 1995 British Open.
Joe Durant,
who has won the last two events he has played -- the Bob Hope and
last week's Genuity Championship, shot a 66 on Saturday and is lurking
six shots off the lead at 12-under par.
Ty Tryon, the
high-school sophomore who became the second youngest player in tour
history to make the 36-hole cut, posted a two-under 70 on Saturday
and is tied for 51st at minus-six.
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