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Estes holds on to narrow lead

Bob Estes retained his position atop a throwback leaderboard Saturday, posting a two-under 69 for a one-shot lead at 17-under-par 196 through three rounds of the St. Jude Classic. John Daly, seeking his first win since the 1995 British Open, tied his career-low round with an eight-under 63 to share second place at 16-under with Scott McCarron, who shot 66.

Daly, who shocked the golf world with his breakthrough victory at the 1991 PGA Championship as an alternate, is among six major championship winners within eight shots of the lead. The most surprising contender may be Curtis Strange, who hasn't entered the winner's circle since capturing his second of back-to- back U.S. Open titles in 1989.

Strange, who will captain the U.S. Ryder Cup team in September, turned in a 69 Saturday for solo fourth at 12-under.

Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer is together with Paul Goydos and Jesper Parnevik at 11-under, one shot ahead of 1996 British Open winner Tom Lehman, six-time major titlist Nick Faldo, Glen Hnatiuk, Mathew Goggin and Scott Hoch.

Nick Price, the 1994 PGA champion at Southern Hills, the site of next week's U.S. Open, stands alongside Jose Coceres, Billy Mayfair and Chris DiMarco at minus-nine.

Estes is 18 holes away from nearly duplicating the manner of his first and only PGA Tour victory in the 1994 Texas Open. That year he opened with a course-record-tying 62, led after two rounds with a 15-under-par total of 127, then held on over the weekend to complete the wire-to-wire win.

So far this week Estes has fired a first-round 61 to match the record at the TPC at Summerlin, then backed that up with a 66 to push his score to 15-under 127.

But the 35-year-old Texan, with two big-hitters hot on his tail, may need more than the two birdies he posted on Saturday to come out on top this time around.

"You can really say there's three of us tied for the lead right now. One shot is no big deal," Estes said.

Daly, seven shots back after 36 holes, collected eight birdies and no bogeys for his best round since the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational.

"It's just one of those days that everything was really solid," said Daly, who is on pace for his most lucrative season since 1991. "I think I missed one green, and hit the ball close an awful lot. It just was one of those rounds, you know, you wish you could do every day. But unfortunately, in this game, you can't. But it was probably the most solid 18 holes of golf I've played since I've been out here."

After starting strong with four birdies over the first five holes to get to 12-under, Daly leveled off with seven straight pars. But a long drive and a sand wedge to three feet at the 430-yard 13th heralded the beginning of another birdie run.

Daly knocked a five-iron 30 feet from the pin at the 231-yard 14th, then rolled in the putt for 14-under. He left himself with half that distance for eagle after reaching the green in two at the par-five 16th, but his bid slid by the left side of the cup and he settled for a tap-in birdie.

The former Memphis resident waved to the appreciative crowd that surrounded the 18th green, then gave them something to really cheer about when he punched the air after sinking a 10-foot birdie putt to tie Estes at 16-under par.

"I just feed off the fans, like I did today. Man, it's just -- it would be the greatest thing for me to win for them, because we've had six years of hell," said Daly, who has struggled with personal problems throughout his career, including a number of publicized bouts with drinking. "I say 'we,' because I do play for the fans. It would be wonderful for them, and to do it at home would be even more special."

Four shots up at the start of round three, Estes ran in a 20-foot putt at the par-three fourth for his first birdie of the day. His comfortable cushion disappeared as he carded pars on the next 12 holes, but he managed to finish with a slim lead after a five-iron set up another birdie at the 17th.

"I thought I had made it for a two," Estes said of his approach, which rolled 15 feet past the hole. "It looked like it was going to break just by the hole. Probably one of the longest putts ever made as far as the clock and how long it took to get to the hole, but it finally went in."

McCarron, who captured his third career title at the BellSouth Classic in April, drew even to Estes with six birdies through 10 holes. He fell back a bit with bogeys at 11 and 14, but a two-putt birdie at 16 followed by an 18- footer at the last pulled him within one with one day to play.

"I'm happy with the position I'm in," McCarron said. "One shot back, I'll be playing in the second-to-last group, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

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