DULUTH, Ga. - Charles Howell III shot a 5-under-par 67 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Kenny Perry into the final round of the AT&T Classic.
An Augusta native seeking his third PGA Tour victory and first since the 2007 Nissan Open, Howell had a 13-under 203 total at TPC Sugarloaf.
Perry shot a 69 to post a 12-under 204. David Toms (69), Ryan Palmer (70) and secondround leader Jonathan Byrd (73) were two strokes back at 11 under.
With storms expected today, the players will tee off in threesomes, starting on both the first and 10th holes.
Howell, Perry and Toms are set for 10:15 a.m. Eastern on No. 1.
"It will be different," Howell said.
"It's not the normal twosomes later in the day. From what I understand, it's going to be quite windy. This golf course is really tough in the wind. There's a lot of risk-reward out here. A lot of it."
Ryuji Imada, who finished second to Zach Johnson in a playoff last year, shot a 66 to tie Heath Slocum (69) for sixth and move within three shots of the lead.
Howell has held three leads after 54 holes, but finished second each time.
On the four par 5s, Howell leads the field at 10 under with birdies Saturday at Nos. 6 and 10.
He eagled the sixth hole Thursday.
Avoiding temptation to go for corner pins was important to Howell, who describes the Greg Norman-designed Sugarloaf as favoring him because it doesn't demand so many drivers off the tee.
"There is some strategy and thought off the tees as well as into the greens," Howell said. "That's why I think it's so important to get the ball in play off the tee. There are slopes inthese greens, and you can use them to help you go to the flags, but you've got to have the ball in play." LPGA Ochoa cruising in Sybase
CLIFTON, N.J. - Lorena Ochoa said her own little goodbye to Annika Sorenstam.
The two-time defending champion shot a 5-under-par 67 and left the retiring Sorenstam in her wake after two rounds of the rain-shorted $2 million Sybase Classic on Saturday.
Ochoa will enter today's final round of the now 54-hole tournament with a 9-under 135 total and a two-shot lead over third-year tour player Teresa Lu and veteran Sophie Gustafson.
South Koreans H.J. Choi and Na Yeon Choi - no relation - are three behind.
Brittany Lang was four back and Sorenstam, who announced Tuesday that this would be her final year on the LPGA Tour, was five behind after a 1-over 73 that included a double bogey after hitting a tree on a par 5, and a bogey on her final hole.
"I don't need any more motivation," said Ochoa, who will be looking for her sixth victory of the year. "I am pretty motivated to win. And about Annika havingall this time from the media, she deserves it. She knows I like to win, and I want to be on the top this year."
Ochoa has won 16 of 23 LPGA events in which she has taken the lead into the final round, including all five this year and six in a row dating to last year.
"I am going to play tomorrow like I am three shots behind," Ochoa said. "I am going to be aggressive. I am going to try to make a lot of birdies. I win that way."
Sorenstam intends to follow her game plan, until she needs to be aggressive.
"She [Ochoa] is playing steady golf," Sorenstam said. "I don't expect her to come back to the field. We have to catch her." CHAMPIONS TOUR Late birdie lifts Bean
HOOVER, Ala. - Andy Bean birdied the final hole to take a one-shot lead over Mike Goodes on Saturday heading into the final round of the Regions Charity Classic with two of the top Champions Tour players in close pursuit.
Loren Roberts and Denis Watson were just two strokes behind after closing the gap with matching 66s. Bean capped 1 a second-round 68 with a 15 / 2-foot birdie putt on the 7,356-yard Ross Bridge course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Mike Hulbert was three shots back, and Joey Sindelar was four off the lead after both shot 68s.
Leading money winner Bernhard Langer bogeyed the final hole for a 71 and was five shots off the lead, while two-time defending champion Brad Bryant (70) was nine shots behind.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Dredge holds Irish lead
ADARE, Ireland - Bradley Dredge had seven birdies ina 6-under-par 66 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Irish Open.
Dredge, who lost to Padraig Harrington in a playoff here last year, overcame a slow start by making six birdies over the last 10 holes to sit at 9-under 207.Richard Finch, who won the New Zealand Open in December, was one shot back after a 65.
Lee Westwood had a tournament-best 64 and held third place, one ahead of David Frost (66), Felipe Aguilar (67) and Robert Karlsson (69).
Sports, Pages 36 on 05/18/2008