Jay Haas vaults clear with 63

Jay Haas had a feeling the third round of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship would be special.

Haas tied the tournament record with a 9-under 63 Saturday to take a six-shot lead heading into the final round of the Champions Tour's season-ending event. His six-shot advantage also matched the tournament's 54-hole record.

``It's just one of those days where things felt right from the start,'' the 51-year-old Haas said. ``I was just sharp. I didn't miss many greens.''

Haas began the round one stroke off the lead at 5 under, sprinted to 9 under after six holes and never looked back. He birdied Nos. 2-5 during one stretch, added birdies at Nos. 10-11 and got two more at the 16th and 17th, finishing at 14-under 202.

``It was one of those days where the hole looked big,'' he said.

The sizable lead put Haas in a good position to go for his third win in four weeks on the Champions Tour, but he understands no lead is safe.

``If I could shoot this round today, obviously someone could tomorrow,'' he said.

Haas, who has won nine PGA Tour events, is coming off a victory at the SBC Championship, his second Champions Tour victory in three weeks. He has earned $744,653 on the 50-and-over tour this year, nearly $600,000 of that amount coming in his last four outings.

Tom Kite, who was tied for 10th at 4 under after the second round, started with three straight birdies and finished tied for second with tour leading money-winner Dana Quigley (68), Tom Watson (69), Loren Roberts and Nielsen.

Nielsen and Roberts, tied for the second-round lead with Gil Morgan, were 2-under for day. Morgan dropped to seventh after a 71.

Hale Irwin, a 44-time Champions Tour winner, had some good looks at birdie at the first two holes, but missed badly to the right at Nos. 1-2. Irwin bogeyed the third to fall off the pace and never recovered, finishing with a 72 to remain at 2 under.

Defending champion Mark McNulty took a double-bogey at the 219-yard, par-3 7th to nullify two early birdies, and was well back in the 28-player field. He rallied with five birdies on the back nine and finished with a 65, closing within seven of the lead.

``It was a very odd combo,'' McNulty said of his round that included nine birdies. ``At least I put myself in position, no matter what the (other) guys do.''

The Charles Schwab Cup race will also be decided Sunday, with a $1 million annuity going to the winner. Quigley holds a healthy lead in the race with 2,346 points. Irwin is second at 2,001, followed by D.A. Weibring (1,701) and McNulty (1,682).

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