| Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, 5th September 1998
- Jeff Sluman, seeking his first victory since early last year, shot an 8-under-par
63 today for a share of the third-round lead with Chris Perry in the Greater Milwaukee
Open. Told it was
his lowest score of the year, Sluman was surprised. "I didn't know that,''
he said. "Obviously, there are no complaints.'' Sluman
and Perry, winless on the PGA Tour this season, head into Sunday's final round
at 16-under 197, leading a group of 14 players within six strokes of the lead.
Perry followed Friday's 62 with a 67. "Man,
there was a lot of energy out there. It was like being at Packers game,'' said
Perry, the son of former major league pitcher Jim Perry and nephew of Hall of
Famer Gaylord Perry. Perry,
36, who has played on the tour since 1984, said a victory would make him "the
happiest guy around. ... I am grinder. I play hard.'' Sluman's
last victory was the 1997 Tucson Chrysler Classic. Prior to that, he won the 1988
PGA Championship. Those are his only two PGA Tour victories. He nearly earned
his third career victory last month at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, where he lost
in a playoff to Nick Price. Wisconsin
favorite Steve Stricker, who became a father for the first time this week, ended
today's round with four birdies, climbing within one stroke of the leaders in
a tournament he said would be "more special'' than any for him to win. After
posting a career-best 63 on Friday, Stricker, of nearby Madison, shot a 67 today,
using a caddie who once worked for Sluman. "I
kept telling myself something good would happen,'' Stricker said. "The finish
was just what I needed.'' His
wife, Nicki, who had been his caddie until becoming pregnant, gave birth to a
daughter, Bobbie Jean, on Monday. "This
would be the ultimate win. It would be unbelievable,'' Stricker said. "I
don't feel that much pressure. I felt pressure on Monday when Nicki delivered
the little girl.'' Perry
birdied three of the first six holes, missing an eagle by maybe an inch on the
par-5 sixth hole. Mark
Calcavecchia, who shared the second-round lead with Perry, and Nolan Henke, were
two strokes behind the leaders. Henke shot 67 and Calcavecchia, struggling with
his putter, had a 69. First-round
leader Loren Roberts faded from the leaderboard, shooting a 72 that left him seven
strokes behind Perry and Sluman. PGA
champion Vijay Singh, making his first appearance in Milwaukee, was 5-under for
the tournament after shooting a 71 today. "I've
played decent, but I haven't made any putts,'' he said. "I don't know how
these guys got that many under. I must be using the wrong ball.'' | 
