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FORT WORTH (Texas) - AUSTRALIAN Rod Pampling, seeking his third PGA Tour title, birdied seven of the first 12 holes to move two strokes clear in the Colonial Invitational third round on Saturday.
Three off the pace overnight, Texas resident Pampling covered the front nine in a sizzling five-under 30 before striking his approach to four feet at the par-four 12th and tapping in the putt to get to 11 under overall.
South African Tim Clark, six under for the round after 14 holes, shared second place with Canada's Stephen Ames, after 10, and American Brian Gay, after nine.
Second-round leader Phil Mickelson recovered from a shaky start and was alone in fifth at eight under after reaching the turn in one-under 34 on a humid day at Colonial Country Club.
World number two Mickelson, a stroke in front overnight, relinquished a share of the lead when he bogeyed the par-four second after missing the green to the right with his approach.
Pampling and Ames pulled away from the field at eight under before the Australian edged ahead after a superb approach to five feet at the seventh set up his fifth birdie of the round.
Gay, who had picked up shots at the first and fourth, then briefly took control. He rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt across the green at the sixth to join Pampling at nine under before sinking a 17-footer at the par-four seventh.
Pampling again drew level by coaxing in a 24-footer to birdie the 11th before Fort Worth resident Gay stumbled with a bogey at the ninth after finding a greenside bunker with his approach.
Moments later, Pampling holed his four-footer at the 12th for his seventh birdie of the day to forge two strokes clear. -- REUTERS
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