The forecast calls for a wild finish Sunday at the Honda Classic. The wind is blowing, a storm is brewing, and a 35-year-old rookie is trying to keep his cool and hang onto the lead.

PGA Tour newcomer Eric Booker withstood gusty winds and challenges from the pack today. He sank a 15-foot putt after guaranteeing he'd make it, shot an even-par 72 and held a two-shot edge after three rounds.

The leaders will tee off Sunday nearly five hours earlier than originally scheduled in an effort to complete the tournament before a storm front reaches the area. Thunderstorms and winds of up to 45 mph are predicted by evening, so golfers will play threesomes instead of twosomes in the final round, and they'll tee off at both No. 1 and No. 10 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. EST. The leaders had been scheduled to start at 2:15 p.m.

Officials hope to finish the tournament by 3 p.m. NBC-TV coverage will begin at 3, as originally scheduled, and will be tape-delayed.

With the wind and a leaderboard dominated by players seeking their first title, it could be a wild finish.

Booker, who began the third round up by four shots, finished a 13-under 203 and showed few signs of stress. His guarantee to an NBC announcer came at No. 16, and he then sank the birdie putt.

"I said, 'I'm going to make this putt. I just want to let you know before I do it,' " Booker said. "I sort of threw that out, just to a get a little excitement.

"If I miss the putt, it's no big deal. If I make it, it makes a statement."

For the third consecutive day, Booker began his pressroom interview by singing. This time the selection was "Blue Suede Shoes," an appropriate choice because Sunday will be one for the money.

Tied at 205 were two other players seeking their first PGA tour title -- Bradley Hughes, who had a 70, and Tommy Tolles, who shot 69.

"I want to go home two-fisted -- a check in one hand and a trophy in the other," Tolles said.

With the winds rising, scores did, too. Only nine players broke 70, compared with 64 in the first two rounds at the TPC at Heron Bay.

Sunday could be a real scramble.

"There are a lot of guys right there," Booker said. "Anybody can win this tournament."

"We've all hit millions of balls on the driving range," Tolles said. "We've all hit millions of putts. We know how to do it. It's just a matter of execution."

Defending Masters and British Open champion Mark O'Meara was four shots back after shooting a 69. He liked the switch to an early tee time for the final round.

"My daughter's birthday is Sunday, and I live in Orlando," he said. "So the earlier I play, the earlier I can get home."

He smiled at the idea of a victory celebration to go with the birthday party.

"That," he said, "would be pretty cool."

Tied with O'Meara for fourth place was Harrison Frazar, who shot 66. Four golfers were five shots back -- Vijay Singh, Stuart Appelby, Doug Barron and Joe Ogilvie, whose 65 was the best round of the day.

Booker had a roller-coaster round with four bogeys and four birdies, and his lead briefly slipped to one shot.

"I played some solid golf," he said. "It was one of those days where you know you're going to have bogeys. You just hope you make some birdies to offset that."

The Michigan native, a former teaching pro, is trying to become the seventh player to make Honda his first PGA Tour title.

"He's won a couple of Nike Tour tournaments, and he's not a youngster by any means," Tolles said. "He knows how to get the job done."

Booker, however, declined to make any further guarantees.

"There are," he said with a grin, "no guarantees in golf."

DIVOTS: Hitting into the wind, John Daly used a driver from the fairway to land his second shot at the 566-yard ninth hole on the fringe beyond the green. It didn't help much: He left his putt for an eagle six inches short and finished with a 76. ... Tolles drove the green on the 357-yard No. 13, and tapped in for birdie. He estimated that the wind added 35 yards to his drive. ... O'Meara hit the pin with his tee shot on the par-3 No. 8. The ball lipped out, and he settled for a birdie. ... First-round leader Hal Sutton shot 76 and was at 213. Defending champion Mark Calcavecchia was at 75-216.