Choi holds on to narrow lead

K.J. Choi, trying to become the first South Korean winner on the PGA Tour, finished the third round of the Compaq Classic right were he started -- at the top of the leaderboard.

``He says he will pray, he will eat well, he will sing some songs and he will have a good sleep,'' Choi's translator said.

Choi had three birdies and two bogeys in a 1-under 71 Saturday that left him at 12-under 204, a stroke ahead of John Rollins (68) and tour hopeful Bryce Molder (69).

``It was tough,'' Choi said, wiping his face after the round.

Choi birdied the fourth hole, but dropped a stroke with a bogey on No. 9. He birdied Nos. 12 and 14 before closing with a bogey.

``In the beginning he tried very hard to maintain his lead and his composure from yesterday,'' Choi's translator said. ``But he noticed that the greens were a little harder for him to read, but as the day progressed, he kind of got the feel for the course.''

First-round leader Dan Forsman had a 72, leaving him two shots off the pace at 10-under 206. Billy Andrade (68) was 9 under, and Chris DiMarco (70) topped a five-player group at 8 under.

Defending champion David Toms (71) was 7 under, and Phil Mickelson (71) was 6 under.

Molder, a four-time All-American at Georgia Tech who set the NCAA record for career scoring average (70.69), is trying to play his way onto the PGA Tour through sponsor exemptions. The 23-year-old player used his third exemption of the year to play here.

Molder, who missed the cut in his two previous tour events this season, took a one-stroke lead with a birdie on 11. After Choi birdied No. 12 to tie for the lead, Molder moved back in front with a birdie on No. 15. But Molder bogeyed Nos. 16 and 17.

``I'm new to it, but it's still just golf,'' Molder said. ``When I'm playing well my game can stack up with anybody's.''

Rollins started the day four strokes off the pace and moved up with five birdies against one bogey for a 68.

``I'm really a survivor,'' Rollins said. ``It was very hot, humid, the greens were firm and fast, so it's hard to get the ball close to the hole.''

Rollins, whose best finish is a tie for fifth at the BellSouth Classic, has made 10 of 13 cuts since moving up to the PGA Tour from the Buy.Com Tour this season.

He credited a phone call to his teacher with helping him this week. He was losing shots to the right early in the week. His teacher told him he was too far back from the ball.

``I came out Wednesday and worked on that and it worked out really well,'' Rollins said. ``My golf swing felt great.''

Rollins said his victories on the Buy.Com Tour would help him on Sunday.

``I think it really teaches you how to win, teaches you how to course manage yourself around the golf course,'' Rollins said. ``Hopefully, if I'm in the position, I can draw off that experience and come away victorious.'''

Molder, who finished third at the Reno-Taho Open last year and tied for 30th in the U.S. Open as an amateur, said he might be a bit nervous on the first tee Sunday, but it wouldn't last long. Even the $810,000 winners purse didn't phase him.

``I kind of look at money right now as points for me,'' Molder said. ``I need to get as many points as I can to get a tour card. Obviously, I could get a whole lot of points tomorrow and just bypass that stuff which would be great.''

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