GOLF: Geoff Ogilvy is poised for victory in the opening event of the PGA Tour season after firing a sizzling eight-under-par 65 to open up a six-stroke lead going into the final round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship.
The Australian entered the third round with a one-stroke lead over DJ Trahan after rounds of 67 and 68 and tacked on five strokes to his cushion at the winners-only event with a bogey-free round that included eight birdies.
At 19-under 200, Ogilvy now leads Justin Leonard by six shots.
"I've never actually been this far in front before, but I've been this far behind a lot of times," said Ogilvy, who got off to a good start with a birdie at the first, one of four that he made on the front nine.
He started the back nine with a birdie at the 10th and then had a run of three straight starting at the 13th.
"I played well, obviously," Ogilvy said. "It was a different course than I've ever seen before. Just a gentle wind in completely the opposite direction that I've ever seen it. So it was different."
Leonard also signed for a 65 and is in second at 13-under 206 along with Trahan, who shot a three-under 70.
"Played solid. Probably as well as I did yesterday, but I feel like I made a few more putts," Leonard said. "You know, with the wind switching around a little bit, the golf course played completely different."
Leonard also had a bogey-free round that included eight birdies, including one on the 18th but as well as he played, he still found himself well off the lead.
"I was looking at the leaderboards on the back nine, but I never saw Geoff's section, so I didn't know where he was," Leonard said.
"And then when I got to 18, I saw he was at 19 under. So it was a little deflating, to say the least."
However, Leonard is not going to let the deficit affect his play today, especially as it is the first event of a long season.
"I'm just going to go out and try and continue getting the rust off, like I have the last couple of days, and, you know, try and end the week on a good note," he said.
Camilo Villegas, Davis Love III, Kenny Perry and Anthony Kim are at 12-under 207 with KJ Choi another stroke back.
Defending champion Daniel Chopra of Sweden signed for a six-under 67 and is in the clubhouse at four-under 215.
Collated third round scores and totals in the USPGA Tour Mercedes-Benz Championship, Kapalua Plantation GC, Hawaii, US
(US unless stated, par 73):
200Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 67 68 65
206Justin Leonard 74 67 65, D.J. Trahan 70 66 70
207Kenny Perry 68 71 68, Anthony Kim 71 68 68, Davis Love III 69 70 68, Camilo Villegas (Col) 74 67 66
208KJ Choi (Kor) 71 71 66
209Boo Weekley 70 70 69, Johnson Wagner 68 71 70
210Sean O'Hair 69 70 71, Zach Johnson 71 75 64, Ernie Els (Rsa) 68 69 73
211Will MacKenzie 72 70 69
212Dustin Johnson 72 72 68, Brian Gay 72 70 70, Stewart Cink 74 67 71
213Adam Scott (Aus) 73 67 73, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 69 70 74, Greg Kraft 72 73 68, Chez Reavie 75 70 68
214Steve Lowery 69 75 70, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 72 72 70
215Richard S Johnson (Swe) 72 72 71, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 79 69 67, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 72 74 69, Cameron Beckman 76 73 66, Parker McLachlin 77 69 69
217Vijay Singh (Fij) 73 73 71
221J.B. Holmes 74 75 72
222Marc Turnesa 79 73 70
223Andres Romero (Arg) 78 74 71
225Ryan Palmer 78 75 72
