European Tour Member Adam Scott of Australia takes a commanding six stroke lead into the final round of the Booz Allen Classic as he chases his third US PGA Tour title.
A third round 67, four under par, took Scott to 18 under par 195, equalling the 54 hole record for the Tournament Players Club at Avenel set by Hal Sutton in 1991, to pull six clear of playing partner Olin Browne of America.
Scott has won four titles on The European Tour International Schedule and two on the US PGA Tour, including the Players Championship, widely regarded as the fifth major, earlier this year. He has held the 54 hole lead in each of his last five victories.
In a swirling wind, Scott picked up seven birdies with three dropped shots. American Rich Beem, the 2002 US PGA Champion, briefly moved into a share of the lead before Scott pulled clear with birdies at the tenth, 13th and 14th as Beem ran up four bogeys in a row on the back nine.
Beem eventually closed with a 72 to lie on ten under par 203, one clear of Germany’’s Alex Cejka, who followed a second round 63 with a 67 to move to nine under par 204 and into joint eighth position.
“I think it is pretty hard to catch up out here, especially if the wind is blowing,” Scott said. “But even if someone does come at me, I think I am playing well enough that I can hopefully hold them off.”
