Vaughn Taylor leads with record score

Defending champion Vaughn Taylor opened a six-stroke lead in the Reno-Tahoe Open on Saturday, birdieing four of his first five holes en route to an 8-under 64 and a tournament-record 21-under 195 total.

Taylor, who opened with rounds of 64 and 67 to set the 36-hole record, shattered the 54-hole mark of 201 that Jerry Kelly set in 2001 and moved into position to break the 72-hole record of 17 under set by Kirk Triplett in his 2003 victory.

``A six-shot lead is definitely a lot. I'm just going to go out there tomorrow and keep to my game plan and just play golf,'' said the 29-year-old Taylor, who claimed his only PGA Tour victory as a rookie last year at Reno.

``Hopefully it will help a lot having been in the situation before. You get more comfortable each time.''

Taylor, averaging 303 yards per drive this week on the 7,472-yard Montreux Golf and Country Club course that sits at an elevation of 5,500, had eight birdies Saturday to bring his total to 24 against three bogeys.

Todd Fischer, playing in his hometown, was second at 15 under after 69. He birdied the last five holes to overcome three early bogeys.

Jesper Parnevik was another stroke back after chipping in from 40 feet for eagle on the par-5 17th and posting a 67. Aaron Baddeley (66), Jonathan Kaye (68) and Fredrik Jacobson (68) followed at 13 under.

Taylor started the day at 13 under, one stroke ahead of Fischer and four ahead of Parnevik, Kaye and Jacobson. Taylor's sharp iron play set up six birdie putts from within 5 feet -- one from 7 inches on the par-5, fourth hole and one from 3 inches on the par-5 11th. The other two birdies were from about 9 feet.

``I was swinging really well on the front nine. I was hitting it really close to the hole and was feeling it,'' Taylor said. ``I can't remember a tournament tapping in and knocking in 2- or 3-footers for birdie as often as I have here. That's always nice.''

He shot a 5-under 31 on the front and got to 7 under for the day through No. 11. He missed the greens on Nos. 14-16, but got up and down to save par each time, then got up and down again from a greenside bunker for a birdie on the par-5 17th.

``Coming in, I lost a little bit of confidence. I wasn't nervous, but I wasn't as relaxed as I wanted to be. I think that is normal,'' Taylor said.

J.P. Hayes shot a 67 Saturday to get to 12-under, followed by Dean Wilson (65) at 10-under. Bill Glasson, who opened with a 72 then broke the course record with a 10-under 62 Friday, shot a 73 Saturday to fall to 9-under in a group that includes Justin Rose (65).

Parnevik said it will be difficult to catch Taylor.

``If he keeps playing like he is playing there is not much we can do about it. He is playing great and he seems to love this golf course,'' Parnevik said.

``I guess it's better to be seven behind one guy than 15 guys like you usually are when you're seven behind. He has to do something bad, let's just put it that way.''

Parnevik had three birdies and no bogeys to go with his eagle on the 636-yard 17th.

``I three-putted on No. 9 for a par and I felt the tournament was getting away from me. The birdie at 16 and the eagle at 17 gave me a very, very small chance,'' he said. ``Golf is so much about momentum. If I can get off to a good start tomorrow, you never know.''

Parnevik said he had a seven-shot lead over Payne Stewart when he won the first time on the European tour at the Scottish Open in 1993.

``I was really nervous and couldn't sleep,'' the Swede said. ``I felt like I had won the tournament and the only thing I could do was mess up badly. When you get a huge lead all of a sudden sometimes you start playing a little safe.''

Fischer, who lives next to the golf course that Jack Nicklaus designed, said he lipped out a birdie attempt on the first hole Saturday and couldn't get any momentum going until the end of the round. He had slipped back to 10-under before closing with birdie putts of 6, 10, 2, 1 and 8 feet.

``To hang in there like that, I'm proud of myself,'' Fischer said. He said he has played the back nine 15-under and the front nine even par this week.

``If I can just get by the front nine tomorrow, I might be able to pick up on (Taylor) on the back. He's got the distance to where he's got a lot of wedges into the green. That's what's making it tough to catch him.''

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