Kelly takes narrow advantage

Jerry Kelly shot a 67 to take a one-stroke lead Saturday over PGA Tour novice Bryce Molder in the third-round of the $3 million Reno-Tahoe Open.

Kelly, who has finished in the Top 10 six times this year but has never won a PGA event, carded seven birdies and two bogeys to move past Molder and Charles Howell, another 22-year-old former NCAA champion, at 15-under-par 201 on the Par 72 Montreux Golf & Country Club.

Molder, a four-time all-American at Georgia Tech making his debut as a pro on the Tour after winning the NCAA title, birdied the last two holes to shoot a 67 and get to 14-under-par 202.

Howell, the 2000 NCAA champion from Oklahoma State, birdied his first two holes then overcame a pair of bogeys on the back nine to shoot a 69 for a 13-under 203.

Brian Watts, who set a tourney opening-round record with a 64, shot his second consecutive 71 to head into Sunday's final round another three shots back at 10-under.

John Cook, who led after the second round at 11-under, shot 74 Saturday to go to 9-under par along with Dan Forsman, Duffy Waldorf, Brian Gay, J.P. Hayes, Jim Carter and Tim Herron. Forsman had five birdies in a row to shoot a 69 on Saturday.

Kelly, who turned pro 12 years ago and has been on the PGA Tour for five, reeled off three straight birdies after bogeying the par 4 eighth hole and lagged a 90-foot putt to 6 inches before tapping in for a birdie on the 636-yard, par 5 17th to get to 15-under.

Now 36th on the tour money list with $1.14 million, his biggest paycheck this year was $288,000 for his fourth-place finish at The Players Championship. He led that tournament after three rounds at 11-under par, two ahead of Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh, but shot a 73 the final round as Woods won.

Kelly, a former high school hockey player from Wisconsin, also tied for fourth this year at Greater Greensboro, tied for fifth at the Advil Western Open, tied for seventh at the Canon Greater Hartford Open and tied for eighth at both the AT&T Pebble Beach and Nissan Open.

The winner of the Reno-Tahoe Open gets $540,000.

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