Purtzer moves clear with 68

Tom Purtzer shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Tom Kite into the final round of the Champions Tour's 3M Championship.

Last year in Purtzer's first appearance at the Tournament Players Club of the Twin Cities, he was tied for the lead late in the final round but hit two tee shots into the water on 17. He finished with a 74 that left him tied for 10th, four strokes behind winner Wayne Levi.

"Something like that only bothers you if you let it," Purtzer said.

Purtzer and Kite (69) were tied through 16 holes, but Kite's bogey and Purtzer's birdie on the par-3 17th gave Purtzer a two-stroke lead. Both birdied the 18th, leaving Purtzer at 12-under 132.

"I like this golf course, it sets up very well for me," Purtzer said. "The birdies on 17 and 18 were a great way to finish. I'm looking forward to Sunday."

After 11 players shot 67 or better in the first round Friday, nobody broke 68 Saturday as gusty winds and cooler temperatures translated into higher scores.

First-round co-leader Craig Stadler was third at 9 under after a 71, and Sammy Rachels (71) was another stroke back.

Twenty-two players were within eight strokes of the lead.

"It's a jammed up, very attractive leader board," Kite said.

Purtzer, the Toshiba Classic winner in March, birdied three of his first five holes and built a three-stroke lead on his front nine. He bogeyed Nos. 10 and 13, his first bogeys on the tournament, to drop into a tie with Kite.

After Kite bogeyed the 17th, Purtzer hit his tee shot within 4 feet (1.2 meters) and converted the birdie putt for the two-stroke lead.

Kite, who hasn't won in 47 tournaments dating to 2002, had five birdies and two bogeys. He tied for second two weeks ago in the Senior British Open and tied for third last week in the U.S. Senior Open after blowing a late lead.

Three-time winner Hale Irwin was 4 under after a 72.

Minneapolis' John Harris had the shot of he day, a double-eagle 2 on the 571-yard sixth hole. Harris, 4 under after a 68, holed a 5-wood approach from 260 yards (237 meters). He eagled the 18th Friday and had a hole-in-one during the pro-am.

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