Lonard puts himself in position for first PGA victory

Peter Lonard regained the lead in the MCI Heritage on Saturday, shooting a 5-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Darren Clarke, with five-time Harbour Town champion Davis Love III lurking close behind.

Lonard, the 37-year-old Australian seeking his first PGA Tour victory, had an 11-under 202 total at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Clarke shot a 73 to drop to second. Rod Pampling (68) was third at 6 under, and Love (69) followed at 5 under.

Lonard, who won the Australian Open and Australian PGA in consecutive weeks late last year, takes a lead into the final round for the first time in four tour seasons. He doesn’t expect the new position to change his routine.

“In theory, it shouldn’t be any different,” Lonard said. “I’ll relax, have a few beers and talk rubbish with my mates. I’ll do the same things I’ve always done.

Clarke entered the round with his best 36-hole score, 12-under 130, good for a six-stroke lead. Over the first seven holes, though, Clarke’s lead vanished quickly as he made four bogeys – double the amount he had the first two rounds – to fall into a tie with Lonard.

Clarke recovered with birdies on the ninth and 10th holes to take a two-stroke lead, but two more bogeys dropped him behind his Australian rival.

The crusher came on the 15th green when Lonard dropped in a 55-footer for birdie. Clarke sent his 50-foot birdie try 6 feet past and missed the par attempt to fall two shots behind.

Lonard toyed with 59 on Thursday before finishing with a 62, his best round. Then came Friday’s 74 that dropped him six shots behind Clarke.

Lonard birdied three of his first five holes during the third round, including a 40-foot chip on the par-3 fourth, to turn the runaway into a race. His birdie on the 13th hole tied Clarke at 10 under before the long birdie putt put Lonard ahead by two. When Clarke closed the lead to a stroke with a birdie on the 16th hole, Lonard answered with a birdie on the par-3 17th.

Clarke was lauded as much for his steady play his first two days here as for his fashion choices, including a matching fluorescent fuchsia combo in the third round. Clarke’s confident he can get his swing back to try for his first PGA Tour victory since the 2003 WCG-NEC Invitational.

“If you ask most guys at a tournament, they’ll have three days where they play well and one day where they play a little bit not too well,” Clarke said. “Hopefully, this is my day when I played not too well.”

While Clarke and Lonard battled at the top, Love played well enough to get himself in the running where a mid-60s round – along with a bobble or two by the leader – might earn a sixth plaid champions jacket. Love’s as good a bet as anyone to do it – he’s had 37 rounds in the 60s since first playing at Harbour Town in 1986.

Love’s not counting on it, however. He said it’s been a struggle to choose the right club with the swirling wind off Calibogue Sound.

“You can see that we’re guessing out there,” Love said.

Stewart Cink came from nine strokes down a year ago to win the MCI Heritage for the second-greatest comeback in PGA Tour history.

“Any course that’s playing like this where it’s firm and fast, you can always come from behind,” Pampling said.

Goosen, Bjorn share Tiger Skins title

At Phuket, Thailand, Retief Goosen and Thomas Bjorn shared the Tiger Skins title with the total winnings of $180,000 donated to relief efforts following the December tsunami.

Goosen, a South African who won the two previous Tiger Skins, birdied the 15th and 16th holes for nine skins to tie Bjorn. The Dane won seven skins but on more valuable holes.

Colin Montgomerie of Scotland finished with one skin and LPGA star Grace Park of South Korea had none in the 18-hole event on this tsunami-hit resort island.

Goosen and Bjorn each won $85,000 and Montgomerie $10,000.

Park was playing against men for the first time.

The tournament was held on this battered but rapidly recovering island to show it was ready to welcome tourists again.

Nearly 5,400 Thais and foreign tourists died when the tsunami slammed the southern coast of Thailand. Another 2,932 are still missing.