Couples & Scott take lead after 61

Fred Couples and Adam Scott used six straight birdies in the best-ball format to shoot an 11-under 61 Saturday for a two-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Franklin Templeton Shootout.

The 46-year-old Couples and 25-year-old Scott birdied Nos. 5-10 to reach 15 under, parred the next three, and then birdied four of the last five to finish at 19 under at Tiburon Golf Club.

"We're two guys who can make a lot of birdies and we did today," Scott said. "We did a pretty good job of picking up the slack for one another."

Kenny Perry and John Huston teamed up for a 63 and moved to 17 under, a stroke ahead of first-round leaders Fred Funk and Jason Gore, who followed an opening 63 with a 65.

There was a logjam most of the afternoon at 13 under before Huston and Perry went birdie-eagle-par-birdie to get to 17 under. Gore and Funk birdied three straight holes on the back nine, eagled No. 17 when Gore chipped in, and then birdied the 18th.

Two-time defending champions Hank Kuehne and Jeff Sluman closed with three birdies to get to 11 under.

Tournament founder Greg Norman, playing one month after minor knee surgery, rebounded with teammate Steve Elkington to shoot a 6-under 66 and get to 9 under.

The 12 two-man teams will play a scramble format in Sunday's final round of the $2.6 million event. The winners split $630,000.

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