GolfWRX.com: Overton Grabs Wyndham Lead - GolfWRX.com

Jeff Overton's day began with a bogey. An inauspicious beginning, followed up with birdies on seven of the next eleven holes for a 66 and a three shot lead after the Wyndham Championships third round. The day's best round was a 64 which vaulted Billy Mayfair into second place with Andres Hansen, Carl Pettersson, and Tim Petrovic.

"It's better than being three shots back, but I don't think 18 under's going to win the golf tournament," Overton said. "So we can't go out there (Sunday) and just play bad. We've got to go out there and have a good, solid round of golf." Mr. Overton began the day tied for the lead with rookie Steve Marino and veteran John Huston. He ended with the largest lead on this course since 2003 when Shigeki Maruyama led Brad Faxon by a similar three shot margin.

Craig Kanada started the day a single shot back, led most of the day until the par 4 16th. There he slice his drive out of bounds and three putted his way into a triple bogey. He followed that with a three putt on the 17th to put himself five shots behind Mr. Overton. "I'm glad (the triple bogey) happened today instead of tomorrow," he said. "Overall, it was a great day. Just one hole -- maybe 17 as well. I made a lot of good shots, hit a lot of good putts and made a lot of birdies. If I can just keep making birdies and eliminate the mistakes, the over-par things, tomorrow, then who knows?"

Of Mr. Kanada's woes; "I looked up and I was no longer tied for first, first all alone -- that's kind of weird," Overton said. "I was like, 'Jeez, that can't be right. Maybe they messed that up or something.'" That's the way you think when you've entered untrod territory. Mr. Overton has never led a tournament in two years of tour play.

As for Mr. Overton's fellow second round leaders, Mr. Huston had an even par 72 and Mr. Marino a one under par 71. Not enough to stay in touch with the top of the leaderboard on a course that has yielded the lowest scoring of the year. Only 35 of 86 players broke par Saturday compared to 71 of 156 on Friday.

Mr. Mayfair made the cut by two shots but lauched himself into contention with a round that included a single bogey, seven birdies and ace on the par 3 8th , hitting a four iron into the hole from 202 yards out. He now has the opportunity to win his sixth tournament and first since 1998. "That shot is going to cost me a lot of money out there," Mayfair said. "I know the members are all having drinks on me right now." The only reason he showed up this week was to try to improve his standings in the Fedex Cup race, where he was ranked 75th. "That's why I'm here this week -- to try and move up in my standings," Mayfair said.