What could be more perfect than getting your first PGA Tour victory in your home state?

Jerry Kelly just might find out on Sunday.

Kelly, a native of Madison, Wis., has played 54 holes in the Greater Milwaukee Open without making a bogey. In front of enthusiastic galleries, Kelly took a one-stroke tournament lead today with a 5-under-par 66.

The last time a player won a PGA Tour event without making a bogey was in 1974, when Lee Trevino won the Greater New Orleans Open. Kelly, who is still looking for his first victory in four years on tour, is more concerned with victory than with carving out a slice of history.

"I don't think I've had three bogey-free rounds all year, much less in the same tournament,'' Kelly said. "It really doesn't matter if I make a bogey tomorrow. I'll go out and make some birdies. I'm just striking the ball real well.''

Kelly was one stroke out of the lead entering today's play, but three birdies on the front nine and another on No. 10 quickly pushed him ahead of Carlos Franco and John Maginnes, the early leader.

Franco finished with a three-day total of 198 after a 67, one stroke behind Kelly and two ahead of Tom Lehman and Chris Perry. Lehman shot 65 and Perry a 67.

Kelly knows Brown Deer Park well. The former hockey player is competing in his eighth GMO, and he lost a one-hole playoff to Loren Roberts three years ago on the course after shooting a closing-round 64.

"That loss is something I can draw off,'' he said. "Now that I have experience, I can take some positives from all the times I've played this course in my life.''

Kelly needed several sparkling saves to remain bogeyless for the tournament. He made a winding 15-foot putt on the 12th hole to save par, and a nice wedge from the lip of a bunker on No. 17 allowed him to make a short putt.

In both instances, the partisan crowd roared its approval and shouted his name.

"Those saves are just as good as a birdie,'' he said. "It's just a great feeling to have that many people behind you. It makes you think you're going to do good, even when you haven't done anything yet.''

Franco, who played in the same group with Kelly and Maginnes, has played three steady rounds after not touching a club for 10 days while at home in Paraguay.

"The gallery was, 'Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!' " Franco said. "You need good concentration with that.''

Franco, who won in New Orleans in May, is the only player among the top eight who has won on tour this year.

Lehman, whose 6-under round today was his best of the week, has shifted his focus from winning Ryder Cup points to possibly winning the tournament.

"Well, the winner gets 150 (Ryder Cup) points," Lehman said.

His regular caddie is in Carnoustie, Scotland, scouting for next week's British Open, but the 1996 British champion and two-time Ryder Cup participant made a last-minute decision to join the GMO field.

Lehman had never played Brown Deer Park before this week, but its straightforward nature appealed to his game. Somewhat less appealing have been the Wisconsin fans, who can't resist giving the Minnesotan a little intrastate ribbing.

"I had one guy ask me if I was a Packers fan,'' Lehman said. "At least they wouldn't be pouring beer on me like they do at Minnesota-Wisconsin hockey games."

Perry has remained steadily in contention through the three days. He also hasn't given up a shot at getting on the Ryder Cup team himself.

"I'm going to have to play a near-perfect round tomorrow to win,'' he said.

Wisconsin native Steve Stricker, the runner-up in last year's GMO, shot a 69 today and fell eight strokes in back of Kelly.

Second-round leader Maginnes also struggled a day after visiting his longtime caddie, Garland Dempsey, in a Chicago hospital. Dempsey collapsed in the third round of last week's Western Open.

Maginnes shot a 3-over-par 74 today and fell seven strokes behind Kelly.

Dan Forsman (66) and Joey Sindelar (68) remained in contention with three-day totals of 201, four strokes back, while Jay Haas (66) and Mark Calcavecchia (69) are six shots off Kelly's pace.

AP