Overton forges clear at Wyndham

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Reuters) -- Little-known American Jeff Overton stayed on track for his maiden PGA Tour title by moving three shots clear in the Wyndham Championship third round on Saturday.

The 24-year-old from Indiana, boosted by a run of six birdies in nine holes, fired a six-under-par 66 at a sun-baked Forest Oak Country Club in Greensboro.

That left him on 18-under 198 in the final event of the PGA Tour's regular season and poised to become the circuit's 10th first-time winner this year.

"The golf course played a little bit tougher today and it was really hot but, fortunately enough, I was able to hit some good shots," former Walker Cup amateur Overton told reporters after carding eight birdies and two bogeys.

"I don't think 18 under is going to win the golf tournament. So I have to continue to do what I'm doing, take the same lines, hit good shots and make some putts. Another six under would be perfect."

Billy Mayfair, helped by an ace at the par-three eighth, returned a seven-birdie 64 to share second place with fellow American Tim Petrovic, Swede Carl Pettersson and Denmark's Anders Hansen who shot matching 68s.

Mayfair, whose last PGA Tour victory came at the 1998 Buick Open, recorded the lowest round of the day after holing out with a four-iron from 204 yards at the eighth.

Lucas Glover, named earlier this week as one of two captains' picks for the U.S. Presidents Cup, fired a 66 to lie a further stroke back at 14 under in a tie for sixth with Japan's Shigeki Maruyama (67).

Overton, one of three players atop the leaderboard overnight, shrugged off a bogey at the par-four first by picking up five shots over the next eight holes.

Out in four-under 32, he birdied the 10th and 12th, bogeyed the 13th and collected his final birdie of the day at the par-four 16th where he struck a superb approach to three feet.

Overton, who secured the winning point for the United States in his last-day singles match at the 2005 Walker Cup, had been tied for the lead with compatriot Craig Kanada with five holes to play.

However Kanada, who had reeled off five birdies in his first seven holes, triple-bogeyed the 16th and dropped another shot at the 17th on his way to a 70 and a share of eighth spot at 13 under.

"Overall a great day, except for 16 and 17," Kanada said after a six-birdie round. "I made a lot of good shots and hit a lot of good putts. If I keep making birdies and don't make the mistakes tomorrow, I might have a chance."

The Wyndham Championship will determine the top 144 players in the FedExCup points standings to qualify for next week's Barclays Classic in Harrison, New York, the first of four big-money playoff events. E-mail to a friend

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