Golf: Perks six shots shy of Buick driving seat

GRAND BLANC - New Zealander Craig Perks is six shots behind the leader, US Open champion Jim Furyk, going into today's final round of the US$4 million ($6.9 million) Buick Open in Michigan.

Furyk finished with a 17-under total of 199, one ahead of Carl Paulson, who shot a 65. Neal Lancaster, who is without a win on the PGA Tour since the 1994 Byron Nelson Classic, carded a 66 to move into third place on 201.

Perks is in an eight-way tie for 13th after a four-under 68 yesterday, and is showing his best form in a long time, having begun the tournament with a sizzling 66.

Americans Paul Goydos (66), Kenny Perry (66) and Chris DiMarco (71), along with Australia's Paul Gow (69), are tied for fourth on 202, 14 under.

Defending champion and world No 1 Tiger Woods (69) was one of three players on 203.

Furyk has 12 top-10 finishes in 18 starts this season and moved to the top of the leaderboard with a bogey-free round yesterday at the Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc.

New Zealanders Grant Waite and Steve Alker are on 208 and 213 respectively. Waite shot his second sub-70 round of the tournament with a 69 yesterday, and Alker had a 73.

* Australian Adam Scott continued his putting revival to tie for the Scandinavian Masters third-round lead in Malmo, Sweden, yesterday.

Scott fired a blemish-free five-under 67 to draw level with Dutchman Maarten Lafeber at eight-under 208 and two clear of the field.

Lafeber, who opened with rounds of 68 and 71, carded a 69.

New Zealand's Michael Campbell is five shots behind the leaders after carding a 71 yesterday, but compatriots Greg Turner and Stephen Scahill went backwards with rounds of 76 and 78 respectively to sit at 219 and 220.

* Frenchwoman Patricia Meunier Lebouc, who is almost three months pregnant, fired a five-under 67 to take a one-shot lead after the women's British Open third round at Lytham St Anne's yesterday.

Meunier Lebouc, winner of the year's opening major championship in California in March, finished at 10-under 206.

American Wendy Ward, who carded a 69, was tied for second at nine-under with South Korea's Pak Se Ri, who also carded 69.

World No 1 Annika Sorenstam of Sweden shot a blemish-free 68 to be at eight-under 208.

New Zealanders Lynette Brooky and Marnie McGuire are well off the pace. Brooky shot 75 yesterday to be at 219, but McGuire had a shocker, carding 85 to sit at 231.

Waikato's Gina Scott missed the cut.

- AGENCIES