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PONTE VEDRA BEACH - American Sean O'Hair birdied the last three holes to grab a one-shot lead at the Players Championship after yesterday's third round yielded a glut of low scores.
O'Hair, whose only PGA Tour victory came at the 2005 John Deere Classic, took control with a sparkling six-under 66 on a relatively calm day at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass.
His grandstand finish left him on nine-under 207, one stroke ahead of overnight pacesetter Phil Mickelson, who birdied the last for a 69.
"That was a nice way to end the day," O'Hair said after rolling in a five-foot putt at the last.
"Considering the circumstances, it's probably my best round of golf.
"It's going to be a lot of fun [today]," added the 24-year-old, who will play with Mickelson in this morning's final pairing.
"He's a nice guy and the crowds are going to be rowdy but that's what you play for. I'm not going to get caught up in it, I've just got to get in my own world and play my game." PGA Tour rookie Jeff Quinney fired a best-of-the-week 64 to share third place at seven-under with Peter Lonard of Australia, who produced the tournament's second albatross at the par-five second, holing out from 209m yards with a five iron, in his round of 68.
Britain's Luke Donald shot 65 to finish two shots back in a tie for fifth with Australia's Aaron Baddeley, 67, American Chris DiMarco, 69, Argentina's Jose Coceres, 68, and Swede Carl Pettersson, 70.
Although the firm and fast-running course played easier than the two previous days with an average score of 71.063, world No 1 Tiger Woods failed to take advantage.
Woods battled to a one-over 73 to finish at five-over 221, 14 off the pace.
It was his fifth successive score above par at the tournament, unofficially dubbed the fifth major, and he declined to speak to reporters afterwards.
Playing in the penultimate group with Lonard, O'Hair reeled off four birdies in an outward nine of four-under 32. Although he bogeyed the 10th and 15th, he picked up his fifth shot of the day at the par-five 11th before surging to the top of the leaderboard with his storming finish.
"As far as my confidence is concerned, I feel good," O'Hair said after his eight-birdie display.
Mickelson, one ahead at the start before surrendering his lead with a bogey at the par-five 9th, had mixed feelings over his round.
"I'll take three under par," the three-time major winner said. "But I would like to have gone lower. The greens were softer and there were a lot of low scores today."
Five players held at least a share of the lead in a wildly fluctuating third round, and on two occasions four were bunched together at the top.
Coceres birdied the par-five 16th to take the outright lead at eight-under before dumping his tee shot into water behind the island green at the 17th.
The Argentine ended up with a double bogey there before sliding further with a bogey at the 18th.
Quinney reeled off four birdies on each nine to set the early pace in the clubhouse.
"It was one of those days where everything goes your way," Quinney said.
- REUTERS
