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Pernice maintains lead heading into final round

06/07/2008

Tom Pernice Junior has maintained the lead of the AT&T National at the Congressional Country Club after carding a third round of 69.

The American held off the challenge of Steve Stricker and Tommy Amour to lead by one stroke heading into the final day.

Pernice has not won on the PGA Tour since lifting the International title in 2001 but now has a chance to claim the third championship of his career.

The 45-year-old had a quiet round, bogeying the sixth hole before getting back to parity with a birdie at the eighth. A well-timed birdie at the penultimate hole put him on ten-under for the tournament.

Pernice admitted it would be interesting to see if he can hold on to his lead in the final round but claimed he was looking forward to the challenge.

He said: "I've got to go out there and perform better and shoot a good score to win a golf tournament. I can't worry about anything else."

Pernice was fortunate that his two main challengers both made mistakes in the closing holes to hand him the lead.

Stricker had scored six birdies and one bogey during his third round and was vying for the lead with Pernice before he bogeyed the 17th to finish the day on nine-under-par.

Amour is one shot further adrift on eight-under. The American had closed the gap to the leaders with three birdies on the front nine. A further three birdies and a bogey put him in contention to challenge Pernice before a dropped shot at the last.

Joining Amour on eight-under are Jeff Overton, who shared the lead with Pernice at the end of round three, and Australian Nick O'Hern.