Scott ahead of the pack at Nelson

Adam Scott again topped the leaderboard at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas. His solid finish Saturday, and Kevin Sutherland’s bad one, made sure that happened.

Scott, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 10 in the world, overcame two front-nine bogeys and shot a 3-under 67 to get to 8-under 202. The Australian star birdied two of the last three holes, including a 3 1/2-footer at the 429-yard 18th.

That put him three strokes ahead of a quartet of players – Sutherland (67), Bart Bryant (67), Charley Hoffman (68) and Ryan Moore (68). Sergio Garcia, after a season-best 65, was four strokes back along with Dudley Hart (66) and Jesper Parnevik (68).

Sutherland, whose only PGA Tour victory came six years ago, was at 7 under with a one-stroke lead over Scott until bogeys on the final two holes.

In his only other Nelson appearance two years ago, Scott shared the lead at the end of each of the first three rounds. A closing 71 left him in third place behind Brett Wetterich and Trevor Immelman.

LPGA

Annika Sorenstam struggled with her putting, but still shot a 1-under 70 to take a one-shot lead over Paula Creamer after three rounds of the Stanford International Pro-Am in Aventura, Fla.

Sorenstam, seeking her 71st LPGA Tour victory, has won five straight events when she’s taken a one-shot lead into the final round.

She chipped in for birdie on the second hole, then made 12 consecutive pars before a bogey at the par-3 15th. Her putter finally cooperated at 17, however, knocking down a birdie at the short par-3. And on the par-5 18th, after missing the island green to the left, Sorenstam squeezed a testy par putt in to hang on to the outright lead, pumping her fist as the final ball fell.

Still, if momentum carries over from one day to the next, Creamer would have a big edge.

Creamer – who hasn’t finished higher than a tie for 21st in her previous three events – had a flawless, four-birdie, no-bogey round of 67, capped by a birdie at the finishing hole.

Creamer came to South Florida battling a strained hip, something that pained her so much that she was hobbling about on crutches two days before the tournament began.

Second-round leader Young Kim (73) and Momeko Ueda (67) were two strokes back.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a 70 and is tied for 43rd.

Champions Tour

No wonder Tom Watson and Andy North campaigned so hard for a return to team play in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. They’re very good at it.

Watson and North combined for a better-ball 62 at The Club at Savannah Harbor in Savannah, Ga., for a 23-under 121 total and a four-stroke lead heading into the final round.

Brad Bryant and Lonnie Nielsen (60) were tied for second with Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler (63). Bernhard Langer and David Edwards (61) were five strokes back on the island course in the middle of the Savannah River.

“We distanced ourselves from the second-place guys and gave ourselves a bit of a cushion,” Watson said.

Watson and North, who have played 144 consecutive holes together without a bogey, teamed to win the Raphael Division the last three years.