Jodie Mudd shot a 3-under-par 68 Saturday to move into a share of first place with Billy Mayfair after three rounds at the $2.5 million Nabisco Championship in Houston.
Mudd, who started the day at 5-under par for the tournament, could have had sole possession of first place going into the final round, but two-putted on the final hole for a bogey to finish with a three-round, 54-hole total of 8-under-par 205 on the par-71, 7,187-yard Champions Golf Club course.Mayfair, who was the leader after two rounds with a 7-under 135, shot a 70 Saturday to remain atop the leader board.
Mudd and Mayfair will enter Sunday's final round of the world's richest golf tournament with a two-stroke lead over Nick Price at 207. Chip Beck and Australians Greg Norman - the tour's leading money winner - and Ian Baker-Finch were three strokes back at 5-under-par 208.
Tim Simpson, who shared the first-round lead with Norman, was at 209 while another Australian, Steve Elkington, stayed in contention with his 210.
Only the 30 leading money winners on this year's PGA Tour are competing for the first-place paycheck of $450,000. Mudd is 21st on the money list while Mayfair is 27th.
Mudd birdied three times on the front nine, then dropped a 20-foot putt on No. 11 to go to 9-under for the lead.
He held the lead until No. 18 when he hit his tee shot into the right rough and pulled his second shot into the bleachers. His third shot left him needing a 20-foot putt for par, which he just missed.Meanwhile at Rancho Murieta, Calif., Dale Douglass shot a 6-under-par 66 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the $400,000 Rancho Murieta Senior Gold Rush.
Douglass, who had shot a 1-under-par 71 on Friday, is at 7-under-par 137 through 36 holes. Three golfers trailed Douglass by one stroke at 138 entering Sunday's final round on the 6,701-yard Rancho Murieta north course.
First-round leader Bob Charles was at 6-under 138 for the PGA Senior Tour event after shooting a 70 Saturday.
Also tied for second were George Archer, who shot 68, and Bob Betley, a Monday qualifier, who joined Douglass with a 66 Saturday after beginning the day at even par.