GRAND BLANC, Mich. — Kenny Perry shot his second straight 8-under-par 64 on Saturday to set three Buick Open records and take a five-stroke lead after the third round.
Perry had a 22-under 194 total to break the tournament's 54-hole record. He also tied the tournament nine-hole record for the second straight day with a 29 on the back nine, and tied the best 36 holes played in the 43 years of the event.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington (65) and Jim Furyk (66) are at 199. Justin Leonard tied the third-round tournament record with a 63 to join Chris DiMarco (65) and Bob Tway (67) at 200. Tom Pernice Jr. (66) and Brian Wilson (64) are seven strokes behind.
Robert Wrenn set the previous 54-hole record in 1987 en route to a record 26-under 262. Perry needs a 67 Sunday to break another record and win his first tournament since 1995.
Perry had a wild day.
He birdied his first three holes, then went bogey-birdie-bogey before parring Nos. 8-10.
Perry gave himself a cushion with birdies on Nos. 11, 12, 15. His lead grew even larger when he holed a bunker shot for an eagle on the 16th and birdied the last two holes.
Perry's last win was the 1995 Bob Hope Classic, his third career victory. He has played well lately, finishing among the top 11 in four of his past seven tournaments.
Perry began the day with a three-stroke after shooting a 29 on the front nine Friday, his 41st birthday.
Harrington, a PGA European Tour regular, moved into contention with four straight birdies on the back nine. Furyk, fighting for a Ryder Cup spot, was steady Saturday.
Phil Mickelson, second on the money list, was 1 under Saturday and is well back at 10 under after beginning the day just five strokes behind Perry.
WALKER CUP: At Sea Island, Ga., Erik Compton battled back from an early deficit and so did the Americans, winning five of the eight singles matches Saturday afternoon to take a one-point lead over Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup.
By the end of a sweltering day on the Ocean Forest Golf Club, the United States held a 6 1/2-5 1/2 lead at the halfway point in the amateur version of the Ryder Cup.
WENDY'S CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CHILDREN: At New Albany, Ohio, Wendy Ward had 10 birdies in a career-best 62 to build a four-stroke lead through two rounds of the Wendy's Championship for Children.
Ward's 62, a shot better than her previous low on tour, broke the New Albany Country Club record of 63 set earlier in the day by Mhairi McKay. Leta Lindley had matched the competitive mark in the first round with a 64. Ward had a 17-under 127 total.
3M CHAMPIONSHIP: At Blaine, Minn., Spain's Jose Maria Canizares had six birdies in an eight-hole stretch en route to a 6-under 66 and a share of lead with Hale Irwin in the 3M Championship.
After a bogey on No. 5, Canizares started his birdie spree on No. 6. He capped the round with a birdie on No. 18 to match Irwin at 8-under 136 on TPC of the Twin Cities.
WALES OPEN: At Newport, Wales, Scotland's Paul Lawrie and Ireland's Paul McGinley shot 1-under 71s on a course soaked by persistent rain to share the second-round lead in the Wales Open.
They were joined atop the leaderboard by Daren Lee of England, who birdied the 15th and 17th holes for a second successive 69. They had 6-under 138 totals on the Celtic Manor course.
WOMEN'S COMPAQ OPEN: At Stockholm, Sweden, after playing virtually faultless golf for two days, Karine Icher slipped to a 3-over 76 and saw her lead cut from six to three strokes in the Compaq Open.
The 22-year-old French rookie broke the course record with a 66 and shot 67 in the second round.