PONTE VEDRA BEACH (Florida), March 24: Carl Paulson shot his third consecutive three-under-par 69 Saturday to take a one-shot lead over New Zealander Craig Perks after the third round of the $6 million Players Championship.
Rocco Mediate also fired a 69 on the TPC at Sawgrass Stadium Course, while 1988 PGA Champion Jeff Sluman shot an even-par 72 to lie at six-under par, three shots behind Paulson with one round to play.
Defending champion Tiger Woods shot a two-under 70 and is tied for 10th place, six shots off the lead.
The 31-year-old Paulson had never led after two rounds let alone three before this tournament, but he has shown no ill effects of the pressure, having recorded an eagle and 11 birdies against only four bogeys in 54 holes.
With the exception of a bogey on the par-four 10th, a hole that world number two Phil Mickelson quadruple-bogeyed with a five-putt from 18 feet, Paulson made quality saves from 10 feet on the first hole, six feet on the third, and a 37 feet on the 15th to preserve pars.
And when he was not working to make par, he was steady around the 7,093-yard course that yielded only 19 rounds below par in the third round.
Since 1982, when this event was first played at the TPC at Sawgrass, only nine players have held the 54-hole lead and gone on to win.
The last to do so was Hal Sutton in 2000 when he had a one-stroke lead over Woods and shot a one-under-par 71 to win by a stroke.
Perks, playing in his first Players Championship, has performed anything like a rookie.
After an opening one-under-par 71, Perks is seven-under-par for the last 36 holes, including a three-under-par 69 in the third round.
Paulson will play with Perks on Sunday in a pairing of two non-winners on the PGA Tour.
Only Paulson has played in this event previously, finishing tied for 68th last year.
Thirteen players are within six shots of the lead, including Woods, former British Open champion Mark Calcavecchia, Spain’s Sergio Garcia and England’s Nick Faldo.
Leading third round scores (US unless stated):
207 — Carl Paulson 69, 69, 69.
208 — Craig Perks (New Zealand) 71, 68, 69.
210 — Rocco Mediate 71, 70, 69; Jeff Sluman 69, 69, 72.
211 — Mike Weir (Canada) 70, 73, 68; David Toms 69, 72, 70;
212 — Scott Hoch 67, 77, 68; Billy Andrade 73, 69, 70; Mark Calcavecchia 69, 70, 73.
213 — Shigeki Maruyama (Japan) 72, 72, 69; Tiger Woods 71, 72, 70; Steve Lowery 69, 73, 71; Sergio Garcia (Spain) 70, 72, 71; Nick Faldo (England) 68, 73, 72.
214 — Jim Furyk 71, 72, 71; Steve Stricker 69, 74, 71; Retief Goosen (South Africa) 71, 71, 72; Robert Allenby (Australia) 69, 73, 72; Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 72, 68, 74; Phil Mickelson 64, 75, 75.
Other international players:
215 — Stephen Ames (Canada) 74, 69, 72.
216 — Carlos Franco (Paraguay) 75, 69, 72; Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 71, 72, 73; Nick Price (Zimbabwe) 74, 71, 71.
217 — Craig Parry (Australia) 72, 73, 72; Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 74, 72, 71.
218 — Stuart Appleby (Australia) 69, 74, 75; Colin Montgomerie (Scotland) 74, 72, 72; Bernhard Langer (Germany) 75, 71, 72.
219 — Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 70, 72, 77; Steve Elkington (Australia) 74, 68, 77; K.J. Choi (South Korea) 71, 75, 73.
221 — David Frost (South Africa) 71, 75, 75; Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 74, 72, 75.
223 — Esteban Toledo (Mexico) 73, 72, 78.
224 — Ernie Els (South Africa) 76, 69, 79.—Reuters