Akron, OH (Sports Network) - Jim Furyk carded an even-par 70 on Saturday to
keep his lead after three rounds of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Furyk, the 2001 runner-up, finished 54 holes at 11-under-par 199. He'll go for
his 17th PGA Tour title on Sunday.
Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen shot 2-under 68 to get within
one at minus-10. Last year's PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley posted a
3-under 67 to end three rounds at 7-under-par 203.
Those three will play in the final threesome on Sunday. There is bad weather
in the forecast so tee times will run from 8-10 a.m. ET with players in
threesomes off the first and 10th tees.
"I'm hoping we don't get a lot of rain and we get to go out and play in the
morning and get after it," Furyk said in a television interview.
Rory McIlroy carded a 67, while Steve Stricker posted his third straight 68.
They share fourth place at minus-6.
Justin Rose and Bo Van Pelt both shot 4-under 66 on the South Course at
Firestone Country Club. They were joined in sixth place at 5-under-par 205 by
John Senden, who had a 69 on Saturday.
Tiger Woods, a 7-time winner of this event, posted a 2-under 68 to finish 54
holes at even-par 210, while last year's winner Adam Scott managed a 1-over 71
to finish three rounds at 2-over-par 212.
Furyk 2-putted for birdie from the fringe on the par-5 second to move to 12-
under. That gave him a 4-stroke lead over Oosthuizen. That was Furyk's last
birdie of the day.
Between the third and eighth, Furyk had six straight birdie chances all from
inside 23 feet, but he failed to convert any of them. He came up short at the
ninth, then rattled his birdie chip off the stick.
He tapped in for par there, then 2-putted for par on 10. Furyk got up and down
from a greenside bunker for par on 11. His tee shot on the par-3 12th missed
the green in the right rough.
Furyk chipped to 11 feet and 2-putted for a bogey. He closed with six straight
pars to hold on to his lead.
"I felt like today the golf course played a little bit more difficult, the
greens firmed up a little and the wind just made it tough," Furyk said in a
televised interview. "I thought it was tougher to get the ball closer to the
pin."
Oosthuizen parred his first seven holes. He stumbled to a bogey on the par-4
eighth, but came right back with a birdie on the ninth.
The 2010 Open Champion was four behind Furyk, but his deficit quickly dropped
to two as Oosthuizen birdied the 12th and Furyk followed with a bogey on the
same hole.
Oosthuizen got up and down for birdie from over the green on the par-5 16th to
get within one. That's where he ended as he parred the final two holes.
"I missed a lot of fairways on the front nine, but I hit it a little better on
the back nine," Oosthuizen said in a TV interview. "All in all, my short game
helped me a lot today. I made some putts to save par."
NOTES: Furyk won just four of the previous 19 times he had the 36-hole lead,
but has won nine of the 19 times he was the 54-hole leader...The third-round
leader has won this title eight of the last 13 years, but only 10 of 32 54-
hole leaders have won on the PGA Tour this year.
The Sports Network