Golf: Gossett on course to follow in Tiger's steps

Overnight leader David Gossett shot a three-under 68 yesterday to maintain a one-shot lead over a group of three players going into the final round of the John Deere Classic at Silvis, Illinois.

Gossett, who appeared at this year's New Zealand Open at The Grange, had an erratic day's golf, but still managed to offset two bogeys with five birdies for a total of 199 and a slim advantage over fellow Americans Briny Baird and Paul Stankowski, and Australian Bradley Hughes, who all shot 66.

New Zealand's Craig Perks, 125th on the US Order of Merit and needing a strong performance to retain his card, shot a two-under 69 to sit at 208 in a tie for 40th, well placed for a final-day charge.

The other New Zealanders in the field, Phil Tataurangi and Grant Waite, failed to make the cut.

After being pegged back by the chasing pack on the back nine, a pair of birdies on the 16th and 17th helped Gossett to regain the lead, an advantage he failed to increase when he missed a three-metre birdie putt on the final hole.

Gossett, in only his fifth PGA Tour event of the year, is playing on a sponsor's exemption and if he wins, will be the first to claim a Tour event on an exemption since Tiger Woods won the Las Vegas Invitational in 1996.

* New Zealand's Marnie McGuire is tied for fourth going into the final round of the Giant Eagle Classic on the women's LPGA Tour in Vienna, Ohio.

McGuire has shot rounds of 67 and 71 to be four shots behind leader Se Ri Pak, of Korea, in the $US1 million ($2.43 million) tournament.

* Greg Turner went into the final round of the Dutch Open at Noordwijk overnight two strokes behind the leader, England's Warren Bennett.

Turner shot an even-par 71 yesterday and was tied for third at nine-under 204.

German Bernhard Langer was second at 10-under.

A top-three finish would guarantee Langer a top-10 place on the European Ryder Cup points table, less than six weeks before the team is named.

Turner, who started his round in second place, slipped to eight under with a first-hole bogey and from there on battled to retain his place on the leaderboard.

He birdied the third, bogeyed five, birdied six, but then dropped shots at the 10th and 13th before salvaging birdies at 14 and 16.

Elliot Boult was on 212.

* In Newcastle, Northern Ireland, New Zealand's Bob Charles was one shot behind leader Ian Stanley, of Australia, going into the final round of the British Senior Open. Stanley is at four-under 209.

- AGENCIES