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Gossett holds on to narrow advantage

David Gossett posted a three-under 68 on Saturday to keep his one-shot lead after 54 holes of the John Deere Classic. The 22-year-old stands at 14-under-par 199 and is in position to win his first PGA Tour event in only his fifth start this season.

Briny Baird, Bradley Hughes and Paul Stankowski share second at 13-under 200, even though each held a piece of the lead during Saturday's third round.

Brian Claar, Matt Gogel and Jerry Smith are knotted in fifth place at minus-12.

Gossett was one behind Baird with three holes to play and made up one stroke with a 15-foot birdie at 16. He made it two in a row with a two-putt birdie from off the green at the par-five 17th and finished the round in the lead.

"I just wanted to focus on today's round rather than where I stood in the tournament," said Gossett, the 1999 U.S. Amateur champion. "I made a conscious effort not to look at the scoreboard and just try to stay within myself and play golf."

Gossett had held on to the lead but ran into trouble at the par-four 13th. His drive found a divot in the fairway and his wedge approach shot missed the green short. Gossett ran his chip 12 feet by the hole and missed his par-saving putt.

Other players were moving up the leaderboard in round three, but faltered down the stretch. Claar was the first player to stumble toward the end. He drove into the trees at 18 and had to chip out into the fairway before settling for bogey.

Stankowski three-putted the 16th green, but rebounded with a birdie at the par-five 17th.

Edward Fryatt was tied for the lead with Hughes at 14-under but fell apart at 17. He drove into the trees and then took five shots to reach the green, before finally carding a double-bogey. He also bogeyed 18 to finish in a tie for eighth with Pete Jordan at 11-under.

Hughes dropped a shot at the last hole when he three-putted the final green.

Gossett birdied the second hole when he two-putted the par-five hole. He made it back-to-back birdies with a 10-footer at the next, but dropped a shot at four when he missed a seven-footer to save par.

This is Gossett's fifth start on the PGA Tour and he has participated in 12 events on the Buy.com Tour. He has not won professionally yet, but Gossett thinks his time is coming.

"I do feel ready to win," said Gossett, who can be the first player on a sponsor's exemption to win since Tiger Woods accomplished the feat five years ago. "I've been really close to getting in the winner's circle. I feel like my week is coming and it looks like it could be this week."

Kent Jones trailed Gossett by one after the second round but struggled to a two-over 73 on Saturday and is tied for 20th, six shots out of the lead.

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