Justin Rose regains narrow advantage

"With how bunched up that leaderboard is, I feel like my lead is not really a lead," said Rose, a stroke ahead of four players and two in front of three others after the third round Saturday.

The 26-year-old Englishman shot a bogey-free 5-under 65 in good scoring conditions on the rain-softened Hamilton Golf and Country Club course. Twelve players were within four strokes of Rose and another seven were five back on the defenseless layout that has yielded four 63s and five 64s this week.

"You've got to bet that somebody just behind is going to go out and shoot a good score," Rose said. "I've got to go out there and put together a good score as well."

The start of play was delayed 2 hours, 5 minutes because of morning rain that further softened the already soggy greens on the 90-year-old course. Rain briefly fell again just after the last group started play on the cool day.

"You have to be adaptable with your game," Rose said. "You're always adapting."

Rose finished at 11-under 199, Bart Bryant (64), Trevor Immelman (66), Sean O'Hair (66) and Jonathan Byrd (67) were 10 under, and Steve Lowery (65), U.S. Ryder Cup player Jim Furyk (67) and Brett Quigley (67) were another stroke back.

Rose is best known for his dramatic finish as a 17-year-old amateur in the 1998 British Open, when he chipped in for birdie on the final hole to tie for fourth.

"It was an amazing experience. It gave me a feeling of what was possible with my game," said Rose, who turned pro the day after the memorable tournament and then went on to miss the 36-hole cuts in his next 21 events.

Winless in three full seasons on the PGA Tour, Rose had a breakout year in 2002, winning twice on the European tour and once each on the South African and Japanese circuits. He had his best PGA Tour finish of the season Monday, tying for fourth in the Deutsche Bank Championship in Massachusetts.

"I'd like to just to give myself more and more legitimate chances," Rose said. "The more you knock on the door, eventually it's going to open."

Rose, who matched the professional course record with a first-round 63, birdied the first three holes to take a two-stroke lead. He made a 10-footer on the par-4 first, hit a 158-yard approach shot to 2 feet on No. 2 to take the lead at 8 under and capped the run with a 17-foot putt on No. 3.

"It was a good confidence-building start, for sure," Rose said.

He parred the next six holes before hitting short-iron approaches within 5 feet to set up two more birdies on the par-4 10th and 12th holes.

"That was a really good part of my round to keep me going forward," Rose said.

Immelman had an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys. The 26-year-old South African is the last player to beat Tiger Woods, edging him by two strokes in the Western Open in early July for his first PGA Tour title. On the par-5 17th, Immelman cut a 230-yard, 5-wood shot into 5 feet to set up the eagle that moved him to 10 under.

"That eagle on 17 really helped my cause," Immelman said. "I was really struggling on the back nine, especially with my putter."

The 43-year-old Bryant had seven birdies and a bogey to also finish at 10 under. He won the Memorial and Tour Championship last year after taking the 2004 Texas Open for his first victory in his 187th career start.

"It may have been a little cool and looked dreary out there, but it was really good golfing weather because the wind didn't blow hard and the greens stayed pretty soft," Bryant said.

Lowery, another older player at 45, got to 9 under with a 25-foot eagle putt on 17.

"It just kind of went up there and fell in," said Lowery, who won the last of his two PGA Tour titles in 2000.

Kevin Sutherland shot a 63 to finish at 7 under. The 2002 Match Play winner birdied the final two holes Friday -- holing a 20-footer on No. 18 -- to make the cut by a stroke. He had two eagles Saturday, hitting his 245-yard second shot to 4 feet on No. 4 and holing out from a bunker on 17.

"It's probably playing about as easy as it's going to play," Sutherland said. "I was able to take advantage of it today."