McCarron vaults into lead with 65

Scott McCarron is putting the "home" course advantage to good use.

The UCLA product carded his second straight 6-under-par 65 Saturday to open a one-shot lead after the third round of the $3.7 Nissan Open.

McCarron, who played Riviera Country Club frequently during his college days, passed Japan's Toru Taniguchi, the surprise second-round leader, and has a 54-hole total of 14-under 199.

McCarron matched the second-lowest three-round total in the 76-year history of the tournament. Fred Couples holds the 54-hole tournament record of 197 in 1990, while Chip Beck also shot a 199 in 1988.

McCarron, 36, tied for 45th at the Phoenix Open and tied for 52nd in his last appearance at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am two weeks ago, but the Sacramento native has been a different player here.

"It's nice to have people out there rooting for you for a change," said McCarron, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour.

The 34-year-old Taniguchi, known as the "Japanese Tiger" for his fist-pumping style, remained in contention with his second straight 67 and is at 13-under.

Taniguchi tied for 19th last week at the Buick Invitational in his first appearance of 2002 on the PGA Tour. While virtually unknown in the United States, he did enjoy some success on American soil last year, posting four top-10 finishes in nine events. His best result was a third at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship.

Len Mattiace also shot 67 and is alone in third place at 201, one stroke ahead of Brad Faxon and Rory Sabbatini.

Charles Howell III remained in contention for his first PGA Tour title by shooting a 7-under 64 -- the low round of the day -- and is alone in sixth at 203.

The 22-year-old Howell, who lost in a playoff last year at the Greater Milwaukee Open, tied a tournament and course record with a 7-under 28 on the front.

Howell eagled the par-5 first hole and played the first six holes in 6-under. He posted consecutive birdies on Nos. 2-4, then added another on No. 6.

"I never started off a tournament like that before," Howell said. "I struggled to shoot even-par yesterday, probably the worst I hit the ball all year."

Chris DiMarco and Scott Verplank are tied for seventh, one shot ahead of David Peoples. David Duval is among six players tied for 10th at 206.

Struggling Jesper Parnevik opened with 65-69, putting himself in position for his first top-10 finish of the year, but the Swede ballooned to a 2-over 73 Saturday, leaving him eight shots off the pace.

Although he did not get the same early results as Howell, McCarron was aggressive throughout his round, the highlight of which was a 56-yard chip for eagle on the par-5 17th.

"If I get inside 100 yards with an easy pin, I'm trying to make it," he said. "There's no reason you can't shoot 65 every day."

McCarron only had one birdie on a quiet front nine, but holed consecutive birdie putts of three and 12 feet on Nos. 11 and 12. He drained a 24-footer for birdie on 15 and after parring No. 16, used a 5-wood to set up his eagle on No. 17.

"I didn't hit in the way I wanted to but as long it got over the bunker, I knew it would be all right," McCarron said.

The way Howell started, breaking 60 did not seem impossible. He holed a 20-yard chip for birdie on the par-4 third hole, then did the same thing from 40 yards on the par-3 fourth hole.

"One in hundred of those go in," Howell said of his chip on No. 4.

Howell made a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 9 to make the turn at 7-under, but cooled off dramatically over the final nine holes. He played the back nine even and had to "settle" for his 64.

"It's been more difficult to win than I thought," said Howell, who has two top-10 finishes in his first four starts this year. "Winning is almost an accident. You start playing well an it kind of happens."

Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal, the winner last week at the Buick Invitational, settled for a 1-under 70 Saturday and also is eight strokes behind McCarron. The group at 207 also includes another Spaniard, Sergio Garcia.

Among other notables, John Daly carded a 1-over 72 and is 12 strokes behind McCarron. Daly has won not on the PGA Tour since the 1995 British Open but is coming off back-to-back fourth-place finishes and is trying to secure a spot in the Masters.

Daly has climbed to 40th in the world. The top 50 after the Honda Classic (March 7-10) earn a trip to Augusta.

The tournament lost a bit of its luster when Tiger Woods, who grew up in Southern California, withdrew earlier this week. Woods said he has been ill for two weeks and needs some time away from the golf course.

The Nissan Open was Woods' first PGA Tour event which he played as a 16-year-old amateur. It also is the only tournament he has played at least four times as a professional without winning.

The par-71, 6,987-yard course has been returned to its original design by lengthening holes, enlarging several greens and adding other features.

First prize is $660,000.

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