In one day, Tom Lehman put himself in ideal position to earn his first win in three years, nail down a spot in the Ryder Cup and gain some momentum heading into the year's final major championship.

Lehman closed with a pair of long birdie putts to cap an 8-under-par 64 today that gave the former Player of the Year a four-shot cushion over Ernie Els after three rounds of the Buick Open at soggy Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club.

Playing his eighth tournament in 10 weeks as he makes a late run at a Ryder Cup berth, Lehman battled rainy conditions today to move to 16-under 200 through 54 holes. He has posted three runner-up finishes this year, including a sudden-death loss at the Bay Hill Invitational, but is winless since the 1996 Tour Championship.

Three years ago, Lehman also triumphed at the British Open for his only major title as he earned Player of the Year honors. Next week, he will travel to Medinah, Illinois for the PGA Championship, where he has never finished better than a tie for 10th.

"I'm motivated," Lehman said. "I know what I have to do tomorrow to pull this thing off. The key will be to concentrate and keep the focus."

With the Ryder Cup only six weeks away, Lehman can clinch a spot on the American squad with a win here.

"Once I tee it up, I don't think about Ryder Cup," Lehman added. "I think about that when I set my schedule."

"He will come out guns blazing and I better be ready," Els said of Lehman, his playing partner for the final round.

A two-time U.S. Open champion, Els had not played in the United States since the Buick Classic in late June but arrived a week early to tune up his game. The South African appears ready to vie for the title at Medinah, shooting 71 today to gain sole possession of second place at 12-under 204. Els fired a 65 on Friday to grab a share of the lead.

A horde of nine players is tied for third at five shots back, inclduing Ted Tryba, Fred Funk and Scott Hoch.

Tom Kite, who will join the Senior Tour next year after turning 50 in December, shared the lead in the early going before stumbling to a 72. He is six strokes off the pace with Stuart Appleby, Bob Tway and two others.

Lehman followed a 40-foot birdie putt at the par-3 17th by bowing to the crowd and blowing kisses. He provided the dampened gallery with another thrill at the par-4 18th when he buried a 25-footer.

"It started out as a reasonable day to play," Lehman said of the conditions. "The back nine was difficult. Fortunately, I putted well."

Lehman rose to the first page of the leaderboard with four straight birdies on the front side, capped by a 25-footer at No. 8. A 12-foot birdie at the par-4 10th gave him a share of the lead with Els at 13-under. Lehman grabbed sole possession of the top spot with a 12-footer for birdie at No. 12, then had his advantage grow to two shots as Els bogeyed the 10th.

"The back nine was horrendous. I'm just glad we got in the clubhouse without a canoe," joked Els, who had two bogeys and only one birdie on the back side. "I was not thinking about birdies coming in, just pars."

Tom Pernice Jr. and Rocco Mediate, second-round co-leaders with Els, also are part of the logjam at 11-under 205 with Chris Perry, Loren Roberts, Fulton Allem and Esteban Toledo. Tommy Armour III and Joey Sindelar, who matched Lehman's 64, are in the hunt at 10-under 206.

AP