Love still holds big lead after 3 rounds

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- Davis Love III played steady, conservative golf to maintain his 10-point lead Saturday in The International.

Using long irons off most tees, Love avoided trouble in his 5-point round, increasing his total to 41 points under the modified Stableford scoring system used in this event.

Love, who began the day with 36 points and a 10-point lead, had three birdies and one bogey. His lead was up to 11 points, and never less than 8.

John Rollins also earned 5 points and remained in second place with 31 points. Vijay Singh was third with 28 after a 9-point round.

Chris DiMarco and Retief Goosen each had 26 points, and Phil Mickelson had an up-and-down round to finish at 23. J.J. Henry was at 22, and Charles Howell III had 21.

The scoring system gives players 8 points for a double eagle, 5 points for an eagle, 2 points for birdie, zero for par, minus-1 for bogey and minus-3 for double bogey or worse. Rich Beem won last year with a four-round total of 44 points, including 19 on Sunday.

The field, cut after 36 holes, was trimmed again to the low 36 players and ties for today's final round.

Rollins birdied the first hole, cutting Love's lead to 8 points. But Rollins then bogeyed No. 4 and Love birdied No. 5, pushing the lead to 11 points.

When Rollins bogeyed No. 7, he slipped back into a tie for second place with Singh, who birdied four of his first seven holes to get to 26 points.

Rollins birdied No. 8, but Love made a 6-foot birdie putt at No. 9 and made the turn with an 11-point advantage.

Champions Tour

Tom Purtzer birdied the final hole to cap a six-under 66 and grab a one stroke lead atop a crowded leaderboard Saturday following two rounds of the 3M Championships in Blaine, Minn.

Don Pooley, Hugh Baiocchi, Ben Crenshaw and Wayne Levi were tied for second place at eight under. First-round co-leaders Jim Thorpe and Morris Hatalsky were in a sixth-place tie at six under with Gil Morgan, James Mason and Mike Smith.

The 54-hole Champions Tour event finishes today.

LPGA Tour

Candie Kung missed seven birdie putts inside 15 feet and still put together a 3-under-par 69 Saturday that gave her a share of the lead with Hee-Won Han through two rounds of the Wendy's Championship for Children in Dublin, Ohio.

Kung's 69 left her at 11-under 133. She opened with a career-best 64 Friday, her 22nd birthday.

Han, second a year ago at the Wendy's to Mi Hyun Kim, followed a 67 with a bogey-free 65.

Ohio native Michele Redman eagled her final hole to set the course record with a 63 and move into third place at 10 under.

Former winners Wendy Ward (2001) and Lori Kane (2000) were in a group at 8 under. Ward had a 67, Kane and Scotland's Catriona Matthew each shot 68, and Jill McGill 69.

European Tour

Soren Hansen of Denmark tied the course record with a 10-under-par 62 and shared the third-round lead with Colin Montgomerie at the inaugural Nordic Open in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Montgomerie shot a 64 at Simon's Golf Club, one of the easiest courses on the European Tour. The Scotsman was playing his first tournament since pulling out of the British Open last month with a hand injury after seven holes.

Hansen had 10 birdies in matching the course record set by France's Raphael Jacquelin on Thursday. Hansen and Montgomerie were at 17-under 199 entering the fourth round.

-- From wire reports