Golf:Rocco Mediate will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Frys.com Open at CordeValle Golf Club.
Mediate carded a third round of 67 to maintain the cushion with which he started the day, finishing on 17 under par as he seeks to secured his US Tour card for next season in style.
The veteran American lost a 19-hole play-off to Tiger Woods at the 2008 US Open, but has not finished higher than ninth in a tournament since.
And that has left him 182nd on the tour's money list, with only the top 125 retaining full playing privileges for 2011.
However, luck certainly appears to be on the 47-year-old's side after he holed a full shot for the third day in succession.
After a hole-in-one on the third hole in the first round, Mediate holed his second shot to the fourth the following day for an eagle two and today watched his approach to the par-five 15th spin into the cup for another eagle.
Bo van Pelt is Mediate's nearest challenger on 14 under after a 65, with fellow American Alex Prugh and Japan's Ryuji Imada two shots further back.
Ryder Cup star Rickie Fowler, seeking his first tour title, is six shots off the pace on 11 under and admitted: "We're going to need Rocca not to run.
"He's been playing well the last few days, I expect him to play well tomorrow so we're going to have to shoot some low numbers."
Fowler, who lost a play-off in the same tournament last year, albeit on a different course, added: "It's a similar position to last year, I was five back and played the first five holes in five under.
"I'm going to go out tomorrow and try to make some birdies early and get in the position we need to be for the back nine."
Collated third round scores (USA unless stated, par 71):
196Rocco Mediate 64 65 67
199Bo Van Pelt 65 69 65
201Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 65 67 69, Alex Prugh 69 66 66
202Rickie Fowler 69 65 68
203Charles Warren 71 65 67, Chris Tidland 70 65 68, Dean Wilson 69 64 70, John Mallinger 66 69 68, Tim Clark (Rsa) 68 69 66
204Chad Campbell 68 70 66, Tim Herron 67 67 70, David Duval 68 65 71
205Will MacKenzie 66 68 71, Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 70 65 70, Chris Riley 67 71 67, Kevin Stadler 71 67 67, Chris DiMarco 67 70 68
206Paul Goydos 65 73 68, Shaun Micheel 66 69 71, John Ellis 70 68 68, Troy Merritt 71 70 65, Tom Pernice Jnr. 67 70 69
207Charlie Wi (Kor) 70 65 72, Chris Stroud 70 72 65, J.B. Holmes 70 68 69, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 70 67 70, Kevin Chappell 71 68 68, Graham Delaet (Can) 68 68 71
208John Daly 70 70 68, Pat Perez 73 68 67, George McNeill 69 72 67, Justin Leonard 69 71 68, Paul Stankowski 74 68 66, Woody Austin 69 68 71, Kevin Sutherland 71 66 71, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 74 68 66
209Joe Durant 71 71 67, Jonathan Byrd 71 67 71, Cliff Kresge 73 66 70, Derek Lamely 68 72 69, Kevin Streelman 72 67 70
210Brian Davis (Eng) 71 70 69, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 69 70 71, Martin Flores 74 67 69, Tim Petrovic 70 70 70, Lee Janzen 71 68 71, Danny Wax 70 71 69, Josh Teater 69 71 70, Jamie Lovemark 68 71 71
211Jerry Kelly 70 69 72, Brett Quigley 68 71 72, Ben Curtis 71 70 70
212Spencer Levin 72 69 71, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 72 70 70, Robert Garrigus 68 73 71, Jeff Gove 73 69 70, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 72 70, Webb Simpson 71 67 74
213Ricky Barnes 70 72 71, Michael Letzig 66 70 77, Michael Allen 73 67 73, Billy Mayfair 73 67 73, Scott Piercy 70 70 73
214Aron Price (Aus) 72 70 72, Todd Hamilton 68 72 74, James Nitties (Aus) 76 66 72, Steve Wheatcroft 69 68 77, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 67 67 80
215Brian Stuard 73 69 73, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 70 72 73
216Andres Romero (Arg) 71 69 76
218Roland Thatcher 76 66 76