MILWAUKEE - Jeff Sluman fired an eight-under 63 to take a two-shot lead over Steve Lowery after the third round of the Greater Milwaukee Open yesterday.
Sluman, winner of the event in 1998, has made the leaderboard a little less crowded than it was. Now there are only four players within
five shots of the lead, compared to 28 after the second round.
Lowery, who shot a 64, is two strokes clear of third-placed Kirk Triplett, one of two players who had been tied with Sluman for the lead after the second round.
Sluman's three-round score of 193 (64, 66, 63 - 20 under) is a tournament record and puts him within striking distance of Loren Roberts' 72-hole tournament record of 24-under 260 two years ago.
Three New Zealanders made the cut, with Grant Waite and Philip Tataurangi the best placed.
Waite shot a 70 yesterday to be at 206. Tataurangi is a shot back after a 71. Frank Nobilo fell over with a 75 to be at 213.
* Top New Zealander Michael Campbell put himself in position for a second straight victory after a brilliant third-day performance in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond yesterday.
Campbell birdied the last hole in a round of 66, the second-best of the day, to finish three strokes behind Swede Fredrik Jacobson.
Jacobson carded a lacklustre, even-par 71 to be one stroke ahead of Argentina's evergreen Eduardo Romero.
England's Justin Rose and Australian Stephen Leaney are tied in third place at nine under, one stroke clear of England's Warren Bennett and Campbell.
Campbell brought the Scottish crowd to their feet when he landed his seven iron second shot from 157m out at the 18th, to within 2.5cm for the sixth birdie of his round.
* Five New Zealanders will tee up for the two-day, 36-hole British Open final qualifier, seeking to earn one of six places at the four courses being used.
Greg Turner will compete on the Dunbar course, attempting to fight his way into a 12th British Open. Also at Dunbar is Gareth Paddison.
Stephen Scahill will compete on the Luffness New course and Tataurangi and Elliott Boult will tee up on the North Berwick course.
- AGENCIES
