Perks & Paulson move clear

Two unproven players. One mammoth prize.

Friends from their years in the minor leagues, Carl Paulson and Craig Perks found themselves in the spotlight at The Players Championship, which lived up to its reputation Saturday as one of golf's toughest and most exciting tests.

Paulson played a steady hand on a day of scintillating shots and shocking collapses, posting his third straight 3-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead over Perks, who was tied for the lead until an errant drive on the final hole led to bogey.

They met after the third round, shook hands, shared a laugh and looked at each other as if to say, ``Why not us?''

No one has ever earned his first PGA Tour victory in The Players Championship, widely regarded as the fifth major. At stake is a $1,080,000 payoff, the richest prize on the PGA Tour, and a three-year exemption to the Masters.

Why not?

``It wouldn't surprise me if one of those guys comes out and shoots 66 tomorrow,'' Rocco Mediate said. ``That's how stars are made.''

Paulson was at 207, only the second time in his PGA Tour career that he has held the 54-hole lead. Perks also had a 69, offsetting his bogey on the 18th by rolling in a 45-foot birdie putt on the island-green 17th.

``Given I'm not a household name in professional golf, there's going to be a lot of people that are surprised,'' Paulson said.

And there will be a lot of stars trying to make a move -- and hoping two untested players at the top succumb to the Sunday pressure.

Thirteen players were within six shots of the lead, including defending champion Tiger Woods, PGA champion David Toms, Mike Weir, Sergio Garcia and resurgent six-time major winner Nick Faldo.

If the names aren't frightening enough, the Stadium Course is intimidating.

``If you lose your focus at any point, you're going to make a big number,'' said Weir, who had a 68 and was at 211.

Agony is always right around the corner on the nasty TPC at Sawgrass, and there was plenty of evidence on a breezy, devilish afternoon.

-- Phil Mickelson took five putts from 18 feet on the 10th hole to drop out of contention, and added a three-putt from 15 feet on the 17th.

``Throwing away that many shots on one hole certainly hurt,'' he said.

-- Craig Stadler shot up the board with three birdies and a hole-in-one on the back nine. Sadly, the Walrus hit into the trees, the bunker and the water and played the final three holes in 6-over par.

``It stunk up the whole day real quick,'' Stadler said.

-- Mediate was creeping up on the leaders until he drove into the lake that runs down the left side of the fairway on the 18th hole for a bogey. He finished with a 69 and was at 210, along with Jeff Sluman (72).

Despite back-to-back bogeys on the back nine, Woods escaped with a 70 and was in a large group at 213, still a chance for him to become the first repeat winner of The Players Championship.

``I just need to get the ball in position to make birdies,'' Woods said.

Paulson, who overcame viral meningitis at the start of the season, is No. 181 in the world ranking. He had a two-stroke lead at the Tampa Bay Classic two years ago and shot 72, finishing three strokes behind when John Huston had a 30 on the back nine.

``If somebody shoots 30 on the back nine tomorrow, they deserve to win,'' he said.

Paulson will be paired in the final group with Perks, a New Zealander who has the distinction of being an All-American at two colleges (Oklahoma, Lousiana-Lafayette).

Neither has a PGA Tour victory. The last time that much inexperience was found in the final group on Sunday afternoon at Sawgrass was in 1996, and neither Tommy Tolles nor David Duval went on to win.

Only last year, Jerry Kelly had a two-stroke lead going into the final round and failed to hang on against Woods.

``They're players that maybe not everyone is familiar with, but those out on tour are, and know they're very talented,'' Mickelson said. ``A lot of players on tour expect them to win real soon.''

A lot of people expected more out of Mickelson on Saturday, especially after saying how much enjoyment he derives out of hitting the most challenging shots.

It was the flatstick that made him look foolish.

Lefty holed a 20-foot birdie putt to make the turn just two strokes out of the lead when he missed the 10th green to the left and had an 18-foot putt to save par.

He missed from 18 feet, 5 feet, 5 feet, 5 feet and finally tapped in from 2 feet, making a quadruple-bogey from which he never really recovered. Mickelson had a 75 and was at 214, seven strokes behind.

Nothing was as painful to watch as the Walrus, however.

In his 26th consecutive Players Championship, Stadler surely has never experience so many highs and lows packed in one stretch of holes -- birdie-birdie-ace to soar into contention, bogey-double bogey-triple bogey tumble back down.

``It all averages out in the end,'' Stadler said.

The averages don't favor either Paulson or Perks, but they'll certainly have their chances on a Stadium Course that is getting fast and firm.

``Obviously, I'm going to be nervous,'' Perks said. ``To be in the last group for a prestigious tournament will be pretty nerve-racking. I'm going to go out and play well and see what happens.''

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