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David Toms
aces his way ahead
David Toms aced the
15th hole and birdied the 18th to claim a two-shot lead after three rounds of
the PGA Championship outside of Atlanta.
Toms fired a five-under-par
65 in the third round and is 14-under par heading into Sunday's final round. He
has never won a major championship.
Phil Mickelson, labeled
the best player never to have won a major, is alone in second place at 12-under.
He shot his third straight round of four-under 66.
Steve Lowery and Shingo
Katayama share third place at minus-10. Lowery carded a four-under 66, while Katayama,
who shared the overnight lead with Toms,ma
British Open champ David
Duval bogeyed the final hole to finish with a three- under 67 and is alone in
fifth place at nine-under, while 1997 PGA winner Davis Love III is next at minus-seven
after posting a five-under 65 on Saturday.
Two-time defending champion
Tiger Woods will not be a factor on Sunday. He carded a one-under 69 on Saturday
and is tied for 32nd at one-under par.
Toms was just one-under
for the round after 12 holes, then birdied the par- four 13th. He stepped to the
tee at 15 one shot behind Mickelson, but found himself in the lead moments later
when a five-wood at the 227-yard par-three bounced twice, hit the flag and dropped
into the hole.
Mickelson, who had an up-and-down
round, answered Toms' hole-in-one with a birdie at 16 to tie for the lead, then
bogeyed 17 and parred 18. He finished with eight birdies, two bogeys and one double-bogey,
and heads into Sunday's round within reach of ending his 0-for-37 performance
in majors.
Toms, who had four birdies
and one bogey in addition to his hole-in-one, found the fairway at the 490-yard
par-four 18th with his tee shot and hit his approach over the water-guarded green
just off the back of the putting surface. He then drained the 35-foot putt from
the fringe for a two-shot lead.
Katayama, playing in the
final group with Toms, had an adventurous third round with three birdies, two
bogeys and a couple of brilliant par saves. He nearly found the water at the 18th
when his three-wood from 247 yards out of the first cut of the rough came up short.
However, the ball skipped out of the water and found dry land. He then chipped
to 12 feet and made the putt.
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