Bo Van Pelt, an American seeking his first US PGA Tour triumph, fired a one-under par 71 on Saturday and clung to a one-stroke lead after 54 holes at the Puerto Rico Open.
Van Pelt was on 13-under par 203 after three rounds of the US$2.5 million event, the first in Puerto Rico but second-best of the week as most top players are at Miami for a World Golf Championship event.
"From the outside looking in, some people say this is opposite field," Van Pelt said. "But for guys out here playing, they know a win is a win and they know how hard it is to win out here so I think it would mean a lot to anybody."
PHOTO: AFP
One stroke off the pace were Americans Briny Baird and Greg Kraft with American Jerry Kelly and South Africa's Brenden Pappas sharing fourth on 205. Kelly fired a 72 while Pappas, Kraft and Baird all shot 69 on Saturday.
Van Pelt, whose best PGA showings were shares of third at the 2006 Memorial and Chrysler Championship, birdied the par-5 second and fifth holes but he took bogeys at the ninth and 14th before answering with a birdie at the par-3 16th.
"I hit it really good the first eight holes [but] I had an elbow injury a couple weeks ago and I had to withdraw and it kind of flared up on me on nine," Van Pelt said.
"Yeah, a little bit more of a struggle. I felt like I hit it big coming in, the last four holes. I could have birdied the last four pretty easily. So I'm striking the ball well, I just didn't convert on the short birdie putts I had," he said.
But Van Pelt had enough to hang onto the top spot.
"Nice to be leading and not behind," he said. "All of a sudden I've got to play well tomorrow to win, just go out there and keep going forward," he said.
"Somebody is going to go low. Hopefully I just keep hitting it to the green the way I am and convert on some of those birdie putts," he said.
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