Tournament Players Championship : Mize, After a 66, Is at 200 and Leads Mahaffey by 4

Larry Mize responded to John Mahaffey’s challenge with birdies on two of his last three holes and pulled away to a four-stroke lead Saturday in the third round of the Tournament Players Championship golf tournament.

“Don’t anybody wake me up,” Mize said after his six-under-par 66 in gusty winds had given him a couple of tournament records.

His leading margin was the largest in the 13-year history of the annual championship of golf’s touring pros, and his 54-hole total of 200 was a three-round record.

He is also within range of another mark. The 72-hole record for the Players Club at Sawgrass is 274, set last year by Calvin Peete. That’s 14 under par, and Mize is 16 under par after three rounds.

“It’s getting closer to the nitty-gritty,” said Mize, 27, winner of one title in five years of PGA Tour activity. First prize here is worth $162,000.

Mize, who has had a habit of letting leads get away from him, said: “I can’t let my mind get ahead of myself. I can’t let myself worry about winning the golf tournament. I want to win, but I can’t let myself think about it.

“When you start thinking about it, then you’re not thinking about the shot you’re playing, the things you’re supposed to be doing.”

Mahaffey, a former PGA titleholder, shot a seven-under-par 65 in the gusting, shifting winds and completed three rounds at 204.

“This is about as good a round as I’ve ever played,” said Mahaffey, 37, now in his 16th season on the tour.

It also was the best third-round score in the tournament’s history and only one shot off the 18-hole record.

Asked about Mize’s lead, Mahaffey said: “It’s much too early in the game to be scoreboard-watching. You don’t start looking at the scoreboard until about the 16th hole tomorrow.”

Tim Simpson, who played well before the winds reached peak strength, had a 66 that left him in third place at 208, tied with Bob Murphy, who shared the lead with Mize after two rounds, then slipped to a 74.

Lee Trevino, a former winner of this title, had a 70 and was well back at 211. Tom Watson could do no better than a 74 and was at 218.