| -16 B Stuard (US), J Hahn (US), C Percy (Aus); -15 K Ventura (Nor), S Burns (US), H Higgs (US); -14 E Grillo (Arg), S Cink (US), D Ghim (US), DJ Trahan (US), R Knox (Sco) |
| Selected others: -13 B Taylor (Eng); -8 P Mickelson (US) |
Scotsman Russell Knox is two strokes off the lead going into the final round of the opening PGA Tour event of the season, the Safeway Open.
The 35-year-old world number 208, seeking his third PGA Tour win, has yet to drop a shot and his two-under 70 took him to 14 under for the event.
American Brian Stuard, five back overnight, birdied the last for a 66 to lead with James Hahn and Cameron Percy.
Englishman Ben Taylor, 28, is 13 under after a second successive round of 67.
Taylor, seeking a first top-10 finish, shares 12th after making three birdies on each nine in round three at the Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, California.
The final round will start with 17 players all within three shots of the lead, including 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink.
Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson kept a bogey off his card but his steady 70 was only good enough for a share of 43rd, eight shots back.
“This is the worst I’ve played in the last three months,” lamented Mickelson before next week’s US Open, where he has finished runner-up six times but never won.
