Bo Van Pelt fired a round of 71 to maintain a one-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Puerto Rico Open.
American edges closer to first tour win
Bo Van Pelt fired a round of 71 to maintain a one-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Puerto Rico Open.
Van Pelt, who has led from the start after an opening 64, had three birdies and two bogeys to retain his overnight lead - but the pack is closing in as he bids for a first PGA Tour title.
Briny Baird and Greg Kraft both picked up three shots with rounds of 69 to get within a shot of the lead, while Jerry Kelly and Brendan Pappas are a shot further back.
Van Pelt was caught at the top by Pappas after dropping a shot at the 14th, but a 10-footer for birdie two holes later restored the advantage while Pappas bogeyed the same hole.
Struggle
"I hit it really good the first eight holes and then an elbow injury I had a couple of weeks ago flared up on me on nine," Van Pelt said.
"I didn't have a very good tee shot, bogeyed there, and made two good shots on 10 and didn't convert and in the end it was a bit of a struggle."
Kraft and Baird both fired three-under 69s to retain their one-shot cushion over Jerry Kelly and South African Brenden Pappas, who are tied for fourth at 11-under.
Both Kraft and Baird started with a bogey at the first before picking up birdies at the next two holes.
Kraft cooled off, bogeying the sixth, but closed with birdies on three of his final four holes.
Baird added birdies at the fifth and the seventh but slipped back with bogeys at 12 and 14. He moved back into a tie for second by picking up two shots in his final three holes.
