Johnson extends lead to three shots

Zach Johnson survived a final hole scare to shoot a four-under-par 68 and stretch his lead to three strokes after the third round of the BellSouth Classic on Saturday.

The PGA Tour rookie finished on 13-under 203 and is the only player in the field to have three rounds in the 60s as he added a one-shot cushion to his overnight advantage.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington moved into a tie for second place with Australia's Scott Hend on 206 after carding a five-under-par 67.

Hend is another tour rookie and he had failed to make a cut before this event but an eagle on the par-five 18th gave him a four-under-par 68 and put him in contention for an unlikely victory.

Brian Gay stands alone in fourth place on 207, while defending champion Ben Crane birdied the last to finish a further shot back in fifth.

Craig Bowden and Australians Mark Hensby and Peter Lonard are joint sixth on 209.

Johnson had birdied the 16th and 17th holes before encountering problems at the last.

After finding the fairway with his drive, Johnson's 240-yard approach sailed well right of the green and the large bunker that guards it.

Faced with a pitch from a downhill lie to a green that slopes toward water, Johnson tossed his third shot into the fringe just beyond the bunker and the ball worked its way to about 25 feet from the hole.

Johnson just missed his birdie putt and had to settle for a hard-earned par.

"That was an adventure," Johnson said.

"My third shot, we were trying to barely get it over the bunker. I was trying to play the percentages and it came out.

"That's probably one of, if not the best shot I hit all day, to be honest. It was a lob wedge, 60-degree. I hit it perfect. I don't know how."

Johnson said the key to his solid play this week had been his putting.

"My ball-striking this week has been above average, especially the last seven or eight holes today. But my putter has definitely been the key," he said.

"The speed has been great and I'm making my three- and four-footers."

On Saturday, the field got a reprieve from the wind and cold that have played havoc with scoring this week but the forecast for the final day predicts winds gusting up to 30 miles per hour.

Harrington, who finished second in last week's Players Championship, had eight birdies and one triple bogey seven on his card.

The triple occurred when he hit his tee shot into the trees on the fifth hole and struggled to reach the green.

Despite winning in nearly every continent, the Irishman has yet to win in the U.S. although he said that it was one of his long-term goals.

"Everybody has milestones in their careers and a win on the U.S. tour would be one of those milestones," Harrington said.

"But it doesn't have to come tomorrow.

"Obviously I'm not putting pressure on myself to do it tomorrow or anything like that.

Thanks in part to his recent excellent play in the U.S., a tie for fifth in the WGC-Match Play Championship and his runner-up position in the Players Championship, Harrington being touted as one of the favourites at next week's U.S. Masters.

Harrington remains wary.

"I think I was one of the outside picks last year and I missed the cut," he said.

"It's a strange thing to say, one of the favourites.

"When I think of favourite, I think of somebody who is going to go out there and outright win it, that's it. There's far more to winning a major than anybody being favoured.

"Obviously, my form is good going into it. If I continue on, hopefully I can give myself some sort of chance next week."

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