Smith moves ahead after 3rd round of Guam Open

GUAM (JP): America's Jerry Smith set two personal bests yesterday as he fired a superb six under par 66 and moved into a two shot lead after the third round of the Omega Tour's US$200,000 Guam Open at the Leo Palace Resort.

After touring the front half with an even par 36, Smith carded six birdies for a bogey-free back nine 30, and heads the leaderboard on 14 under par from English-born South African Chris Williams.

Smith's inward nine was the lowest of his professional career, while his 14 under par 202 aggregate also represents his lowest three-round total since joining the professional ranks in 1987.

Williams also set a new personal best on his way to breaking the course record with a sizzling bogey-free 64 over the challenging 6,609-yard layout.

"Competitively, today's back nine was the lowest of my career, and nor have I been 14 under par after three days before - certainly not on a par 72 course," said 34-year-old Smith from Illinois.

"I played steady on the front nine, which for me has a few very hard holes, and then managed to attack the course coming home. I managed to get a good speed with my putter and felt that if I could get it within 15 feet then I'd have a good chance of sinking the birdie putt."

Joint leader overnight, Smith saved par with a 15-foot putt on the fourth, before dropping his only shot of the day with a three- putt bogey at the very next hole. But he immediately made amends, firing a wedge to within three feet for a simple birdiethe 6th.

After a two-on two-putt birdie on the par five 10th, the 34- year-old America drained birdie putts from 10 feet on the 12th, 20 feet on the 13th and 16th, and 15 feet on the 17th. A three-foot birdie at the last completed his three-birdie finish.

"With the way the scores are going this week I won't be able to let up tomorrow," added Smith. "But if I can stay in good shape on the front nine then I should be in a strong position to turn it on again on the backside."

Williams, a six-time winner on the Southern African PGA Tour, put his new personal best down to an inspired performance with his putter.

Finishing fourth two weeks ago in the $200,000 Macau Open, Williams broke defending champion Gerry Norquist's course best by two shots following an outward 33 and an inward 31.

Leading scores: 202 - Jerry Smith (USA) 69-67-66; 204 - Chris Williams (Gbr) 73-67-64; 206 - Arjun Atwal (Ind) 70-69-67; 208 - Chung Joon (Kor) 67-74-67; 209 - Taku Sugaya (Jpn) 73-69-67, Gerry Norquist (USA) 70-68-71; 210 - Lolth Wastle (Aus) 72-68-70, Kaisumune Imai (Jpn) 66-73-71 211 - Charlie Wi (Kor) 74-68-69, Vivek Bhandari (Ind) 69-73-69, Hsieh Yu-shu (Tpe) 71-67-73; 212 - Carlos Espinosa (Mex) 72-73-67, Lu Wen-teh (Tpe) 71-71-70