ESPN.com - Golf Online - Winds of change: Love, Huston share lead

Associated Press
Saturday, May 13

IRVING, Texas -- The wind changed, and so did the fortunes of Davis Love III in the Byron Nelson Classic.

Love lost his four-stroke lead and had to scramble for a 1-over 71 to regain a share of the lead with John Huston on Saturday. In the process, he brought a bunch of other players back into the picture -- perhaps even Tiger Woods and David Duval.

After struggling all day to gauge a strong wind that came from the opposite direction, Love made birdie from the bunker on the par-5 16th and finished at 10-under 200 with Huston, who had a 3-under 67 on another tough day for scoring.

"I hit it just as good," Love said. "I just didn't hit the right club three or four times. You start second-guessing yourself. I lost some confidence because I got surprised."

Jesper Parnevik, trying to win for the second time this year, had a 68 and was three strokes back. Phil Mickelson also had a 68 and was at 206.

"Phil and Jesper are right where they wanted to be -- three or four back, which is well within reach," Love said. "And John did what he wanted to do -- catch up. It should be a good race."

Three Texans -- Mark Brooks, Paul Stankowski and Bob Estes _ were at 205.

Woods and Duval, the top two players in the world ranking, were at 203 and will be paired alone together in the final round for the first time in their career.

"Each day, I've felt better," said Woods, who birdied two of the last three holes for his second straight 3-under 67. "I hate to say it, but it feels like I'm getting my competitive edge back."

Duval, who had a 68, and Woods were in a threesome in the final round of the Nissan Open, although neither made a run. That might be the case again Sunday, depending on Love and Huston, and the Texas wind that made the TPC at Las Colinas play entirely different than the first two rounds.

Parnevik hit a wedge into the 490-yard third hole with gusts behind him. On Saturday, he had to rip a 5-wood just to reach the green.

"The course played a lot tougher in this wind," he said.

Still, he liked his chances a lot better at the end of a blustery day.

"It's nice to have only two guys in front of you," he said. "When it's like that, anybody can win."

Love could have changed all that. His four-stroke lead after Friday was largest in tournament history after two rounds, and he kept that cushion until the wind started playing tricks on him.

Love had only two decent birdie chances on the front nine, and most of the time had to made 4- and 6-footers just to save par. Huston didn't hit the ball nearly as well as Love off the tee -- or as long -- but he gave himself more birdie opportunities and converted.

Love finally lost his lead on No. 14. He was 170 yards from the hole and selected an 8-iron, turning to his caddie to say, "At least I can't fly this green."

Wrong.

It sailed some 30 yards over, behind a cluster of flowers. Love chipped up the hill and over the green and made a nice chip for bogey. But Huston holed an 8-footer for birdie and a two-shot swing.

Huston had only one such problem, blasting out of the rough on the par-5 16th and causing the gallery to scatter like birds. He had to settle for par on the easiest hole on the course, while Love got up-and-down from the bunker to forge a tie.

"There was nothing I could about Davis. I had to stick to my game plan," said Huston, whose last victory was the Disney Classic in 1998. "I'm very satisfied."

Divots

Davis Love III printed a "45" on the back of his hat as a tribute to Adam Petty, the NASCAR driver who was killed in a crash Friday in New Hampshire. Love went to college in North Carolina and knows several members of the Petty family.

Hank Kuehne, the former U.S. Amateur champion who failed to even get his card for the Buy.com Tour, had a bogey-free round of 64 despite missing a half-dozen putts inside 12 feet.

Love has missed only one fairway each of the past two days.

Stankowski on his eagle on 554-yard 16th with a 350-yard drive -- slightly longer than Woods' drive -- and a 9-iron into the green. "I really didn't care if I made eagle," he said. "I'm just glad I hit it by Tiger. That was fun."