Slocum aiming for promotion

Heath Slocum shot a round of 66 Saturday to move to the top of the leaderboard at the Omaha Classic. Slocum is at 16-under-par 200 after three rounds and is only 18 holes away from becoming the second player to achieve the Buy.com Tour's "battlefield promotion."

The "battlefield promotion" stipulates that any Buy.com Tour player who posts three victories in a single season is granted immediate access to the PGA Tour. Slocum has won already at the Knoxville Open and the Greater Cleveland Open, and a victory this weekend would grant him eligibility to the main circuit.

"I can only control myself and that's all I can do," said Slocum. "I am going to go and try to keep myself in contention. Right now I have a one-shot lead. I figure if I can go play well tomorrow, then that's all I can really do."

In 1997, Chris Smith became the first player to win his way onto the PGA Tour when he captured the Omaha Classic for his third title of the season that year.

The 27-year-old Slocum got off to a quick start Saturday by birdieing two of the first three holes but ran into trouble at the par-three eighth. He settled for a bogey and his only dropped shot of the afternoon.

Slocum came out stronger on the back nine with a birdie on the 10th followed by a remarkable shot on the 11th. His nine-iron approach bounced on the front of the green and rolled in for an eagle.

"I wanted to hit the wedge but I knew if I hit the wedge and even if I hit it perfect it was just going to spin off the green," said Slocum. "I just tried to take a little bit off the nine and take some spin off and I saw it hop, maybe do a little something and disappear.

"Started to get a little momentum after that. Shot in the arm."

He birdied the 15th and 17th to move into sole possession of first place.

Scott Peterson is one stroke off the lead at 15-under 201 after a round of 67. Peterson had the chance to join Slocum at the top of the leaderboard, but a bogey on the final hole kept him from doing so.

"I played solid today. Everything is working well," said Petersen. "Unfortunately I caught a flier on 18 and happened to three-putt. I don't think many of us could have two-putted that one."

Rod Pampling (69), who also bogeyed the final hole, is two stokes off the lead at 14-under 202.

Three players share the position at 13-under 203 including Iain Steel, who fired a 62 for the low round of the tournament, missing the course record set by Don Walsworth in 1998 by one shot.

He joins Patrick Sheehan (69) and second-round leader Jeff Gove (72) three strokes behind Slocum.

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