Smith moves ahead

Chris Smith needed 30 holes Saturday to take the third-round lead in the Buick Classic.

Up at 4:30 a.m. for the completion of the second round, the long-hitting who played at Ohio State had a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th to break a tie with Loren Roberts and David Gossett.

``It's been a long day,'' said Smith, who finished off a 3-under 69 in the morning and added a 67. ``I don't get tired physically, but I could feel myself getting mentally tired the last three or four holes. I was having trouble concentrating.''

The five-time Buy.com Tour winner was at 11-under 202 on the Westchester Country Club's West Course. Gossett and Roberts, neighbors in Germantown, Tenn., were a stroke back, and Pat Perez and Canadian Ian Leggatt followed at 9-under.

Smith has seven birdies in nine tries on the par-5s, making par only on No. 9 in the first and second rounds to move into position for his first tour victory.

``It's something that I've worked for for a long time,'' said Smith, who failed to qualify for next week's U.S. Open. ``If I don't win, I'm still going to be happy when I get home Sunday night. I haven't been home for six weeks.''

The 23-year-old Gossett, with sister Joni caddying, shot a 70, and Roberts, three weeks short of his 47th birthday, had a 71.

Roberts, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, had the lead at 10-under after the completion of the second round, but dropped back with bogeys on Nos. 9 and 10 before birdieing 13 and 16.

``I don't know of anybody who plays four really lights-out rounds,'' Roberts said. ``I'm hoping that I got my bad round past me today. It was a weird round.''

Gossett, the 1999 U.S. Amateur champion who won the John Deere Classic last year to become a PGA Tour member, bogeyed the par-3 16th to drop out of the lead.

``I lucked out with the pairings I got Thursday and Friday,'' said Gossett, who finished the second round Friday. ``It was nice to be able to sleep in and kind of take it easy this morning.''

Perez and Leggatt shot 67s.

Perez finished the suspended second round with a 70, and had six birdies in a front-nine 30 to take the lead at 11-under.

The qualifying school medalist, second at Pebble Beach this year after a closing triple bogey, double-bogeyed the difficult 12th for the second straight day. He rebounded with a birdie on 13, but gave the stroke back at 15.

The rookie admitted he's looking ahead to the U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park on Long Island.

``To tell the truth, I'm not worried about tomorrow,'' Perez said. ``I'm more worried about next week because that's where you can really prove yourself.''

Jerry Kelly bogeyed the 18th for a 70 to drop three strokes behind at 8-under. He reached 10-under on No. 11, with his 13-foot birdie putt hanging on the lip for nearly 10 seconds before tumbling in as he slowly made his way to the hole.

Hal Sutton and David Toms, both PGA winners, were four strokes back at 7-under. Sutton shot a 67, and Toms had a 68.

Defending champion Sergio Garcia was six strokes back after a 70. The Spanish star bogeyed five of his first 12 holes in the completion of the second round and start of the third.

With girlfriend Martina Hingis in his gallery, he climbed into contention with five birdies in eight holes, but closed with a bogey and five pars.

Retief Goosen, preparing for his U.S. Open title defense, finished off a 72 and added a 70 to reach 4-under. Ernie Els, the 1996 and 1997 winner, also was 4-under after a 72, and Phil Mickelson was another stroke back after a 71.

Seventy-eight players completed the second round Saturday after the start of play was delayed five hours Friday because of wet conditions. Nearly 2 1/4 inchesof rain fell on the course Thursday night and early Friday.

Divots

Smith hit a 427-yard drive in the 1999 Honda Classic, the longest recorded shot since the tour began measuring drives in 1980. ... Joni Gossett is a freshman on Vanderbilt's golf team. ... Paul Gow had a hole-in-one on No. 1, the first shot struck on the hole in the third round. The Australian used a 5-iron on the 200-yard hole. He shot a 68 for a 4-under total. ... The players are using American flag head covers on their drivers to honor the victims ofthe Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

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