Luke Donald, set to become world number one with a victory, fired a 1-under-par 70 to grab a one-shot lead over defending champion Jim Furyk after 54 holes of the Heritage tournament.
The Englishman strung together eight pars and a birdie at the par-four 16th on the back nine to stand on 11-under 202 after three rounds of the US PGA event, one stroke atop Furyk with Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge and American Scott Verplank two adrift.
Donald, currently ranked third, would move past current top man Martin Kaymer of Germany with a victory and also pass fellow Englishman Lee Westwood no matter how Westwood fares this week at the Indonesian Masters.
Donald and Westwood traded "good luck" messages on Twitter before their third rounds.
"I think I have an opportunity to go out there and win and if I do, I know what happens," Donald said.
"It's just friendly banter."
Donald, who won the World Golf Championships Match Play title in February, took a double-bogey 7 on the second hole to stumble from the lead and just two holes later there were 17 players within two strokes of the top spot.
But Donald bounced back with birdies on the par-five fifth for the third day in a row and the par-three seventh for the second day in a row, then answered a bogey at the eighth with a birdie at nine to share the lead with Furyk.
The Englishman collected his last birdie of the day at 16, where he stuck his approach three feet from the pin.
But he said two par saves, at the third and fourth holes, were crucial, helping him rebound from the double-bogey at the second.
"Those up-and-downs and keeping some momentum going where I wasn't going completely backwards was big for me," he said
Australian Jason Day, playing for the first time since he shared second at the Masters, was in the hunt as well but began the back nine with three bogeys in a row to stumble back.
Furyk, twice a Heritage runner-up as well as last year's winner, suffered a 10-foot birdie lip out at 11 and faltered with a bogey at 12 but answered with birdies at 13 and 15.
Furyk found a sand trap on his approach at 18 and took a bogey to leave Donald on top but himself joining him in the final pairing.
"I've had a couple of good battles with guys down the stretch at this torunament and I look forward to another one tomorrow," Furyk said.
Furyk and Donald will be paired in the final group, renewing a rivalry that has seen some memorable tussles.
At last year's US PGA Tour Championship, Furyk saved par from a bunker on the 72nd hole to beat Donald by a stroke - winning the $US10 million FedEx Cup bonus.
A week later Donald beat Furyk 1-up in Ryder Cup singles to contribute to Europe's victory.
The event is searching for a sponsor in order to return next year.
Donald has gone 118 holes without a three-putt green, his last coming during the first round of the Masters.
- AFP
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