Golf: Appleby on course for Houston win

HOUSTON - Australian golfer Stuart Appleby fired a three-under 69 to move two shots clear after the third round of the Houston Open as he stayed on course for his second PGA Tour win of the season.

Appleby, who began the day with a one-stroke lead over Briton Greg Owen, mixed five birdies with a pair of bogeys to reach 14-under for the tournament, giving him a two stroke cushion over Swede Mathias Gronberg.

Winner of the season-opening Mercedes Championship, Appleby had a wobble in the middle of his round at the Redstone Golf Club when he bogeyed the eighth and seemed poised to drop another shot on the ninth.

But the 34-year-old Australian stopped the slide with a nervy 2.4m par putt and then played error free until the last, where he carded only his third bogey of the tournament.

Gronberg, who needed to return to qualifying school to retain his PGA Tour card for this season, returned a five-under 67 to surge into contention at 12-under 204.

After opening with seven pars the Swede struck a rich vein of form by reeling off three consecutive birdies from the eighth and two more from 12 before a bogey-birdie finish to his day.

Americans Jerry Smith (69) and Bob Estes, with a six-under 66 round of the day, are two shots further back at 10-under 206.

Owen, who shot a course record seven-under 65 to rocket into contention on Friday, was unable to sustain his form, stumbling to three-over 75 to sit seven shots off the pace.

The Briton started with a birdie but gave the stroke back with a bogey at the second followed by back-to-back double bogeys at five and six.

He managed to halt his nosedive by playing error-free golf for the rest of day and picking up a shot at the 13th but could not undo the early damage.

Vijay Singh's hopes of a third consecutive Houston title also faded after a three-over 75 left the Fijian world No 3 a massive 13 shots behind the leader.

He dropped a shot at the first and struggled through his entire round mixing bogeys and a double bogey with five birdies for a three-day total of one-under 215.

- REUTERS