Pampling & DiMarco top leaderboard

First round leader Rod Pampling moved back into a share of first place with Chris DiMarco on 29 points at The International after a solid third round on Saturday.

Pampling had four birdies and one bogey in accumulating seven points, while overnight leader DiMarco had a wild round of three birdies and eight bogeys for a net loss of two points.

The International uses a modified stableford format that awards points for under-par scores and deducts points for scores over par.

A double-eagle is worth eight points, an eagle five points and a birdie two points. A bogey subtracts one point and a double-bogey three points. Pars are worth no points.

Germany's Alex Cejka scored 11 points on Saturday and is one point in back of the leaders in third place. Tom Pernice Jr and Bob Tway share fourth with 26 points.

Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal holds sixth place with 23 points, while Stewart Cink Arron Oberholser and Tim Petrovic are tied for seventh another point back.

The leader began the third round with a nine-point advantage over Pampling, but quickly ran into trouble at the par-72 Castle Pines Golf Club.

DiMarco, who has not won since the 2002 Phoenix Open, started well enough, making birdie at the par-five opening hole but the bogeys began at the third hole and he could do little to stop them mounting up.

He also bogeyed the fourth, the fifth, the eighth and the ninth. He then had two birdies on the back nine and three bogeys.

Pampling, who played with DiMarco, was excited about being in line to take a run at the title.

"I think I left a lot out there," Pampling said.

"I hit it quite nicely tee to green. It was a golden opportunity. Obviously Chris struggled all day, but he hung in there and we're still tied.

"Yes, I'm very excited. I think it's the first time I've been third round co-leader anyway so hopefully it will be a charm."

Pampling could have scored much better but needed 31 putts to get around. In the first two rounds, he had taken just 25 and 24 putts, respectively.

"I didn't like my putts." he said. "It was one of those days. Hopefully tomorrow they'll go in."

No one had a better round than Cejka, who carded six birdies against a lone bogey for 11 points.

The round came as good news for the German, who withdrew from the U.S. Bank Championship two weeks ago because of a wrist injury.

"I still have a little bit of pain, especially when I warm up, but I'm getting treatment so it's getting better," Cejka said.

"Slowly I'm getting better and better and I can score a little bit. Hopefully this is a week where I can score. It's a good start so far, so we'll see."

With one round remaining, Cejka said his unsure what score it might take to record his first PGA Tour victory.

"I don't have a number," he said.

"I'm just going to go out and try to do my best and we'll see, but I'm pretty sure I have to make at least maybe 10 points.

"You just have to play as hard as you can, get a lot of birdies and hopefully an eagle. In this game everything is possible."

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