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Leonard retains lead
After two days of tearing
up the front nine at the Texas Open, Justin Leonard found himself running in place
while Matt Kuchar was streaking.
Leonard made the turn even
for the day in Saturday's third round of the Texas Open before sinking birdie
putts on the 10th, 12th and 14th. He shot a 3-under 68 to stay in front going
into the final round at the La Cantera Golf Club course.
Leonard, the defending champion,
has a three-day total of 16-under 197.
Kuchar shot a 7-under 64
to pull within two shots of the lead.
Carl Paulson, who matched
Leonard's 68, remained three shots back. Tom Scherrer, J.J. Henry and first-round
leader Marco Dawson, who had a hole-in-one, were five shots off the pace at 202.
Kuchar, a 23-year-old tour
rookie, carded four birdies on the front nine and added birdies on his last two
holes to equal the best round of the tournament.
``Like Tiger says, 'You
can only give yourself a chance,' and I've done that,'' he said.
Kuchar's best finish has
been a third-place tie in the Air Canada Championship earlier this month.
But he has spent some time
in the spotlight. In 1998, he contended into the third round of the Masters, and
two months later did the same thing in the U.S. Open, outplaying the others in
his group -- Leonard and defending champion Ernie Els.
``He's a pretty seasoned
player,'' Leonard said of Kuchar, who like him is a past U.S. Amateur champion.
But Leonard is driven as
well -- he hasn't won since last year's Texas Open.
``There are a lot of motivating
factors, but too many to list,'' he said. ``I have a chance to win, and that's
it right there.''
Leonard said he wasn't throttling
back on Saturday.
``The only time you take
it easy on Saturday is when you don't make the cut,'' he said.
Kuchar said playing in last
year's Texas Open as an amateur persuaded him to turn pro.
``I missed the cut, but
I knew I wanted to be here week in and week out,'' he recalled. ``I knew I needed
to try professional golf.''
Paulson, playing Saturday
in the final group with Leonard and Dawson, was even on the day after 10 holes.
He then had three birdies on the next four holes to get to 13 under.
Paulson said the 2000 Tampa
Bay Classic, where he finished second, gave him a taste of the pressure he'll
be under Sunday.
``I got what it feels like
to take the last grouping,'' he said, adding that to win, ``you have to make birdies
on a tough course.''
Dawson, who started the
day three shots off the lead, pulled within one shot of Leonard after birdies
on the 5th and 7th, but five holes later he was five back. After a par on No.
8, Dawson bogeyed the 9th and 11th holes, while Leonard had birdies on the 10th
and 12th.
Then, on the 142-yard, par-3
13th, Dawson's tee shot flew straight into the cup for an ace. But a bogey on
the 14th, combined with a birdie by Leonard, left him once again trailing by five.
Sweden's Jesper Parnevik
was at 12 under after 14 holes, but a double-bogey 6 on the 15th and a bogey on
the 16th returned him to even for the day.
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