GOLF ROUNDUP : Maggert Makes Himself at Home, Leads by Three

Jeff Maggert, a PGA Tour rookie, birdied the final hole Saturday for a two-under-par 70 and a three-shot lead after three rounds of the $800,000 tournament at The Woodlands, Tex.

Maggert, who shot 65 in each of the first two rounds and started the day at 14 under par, picked up two more strokes on the front nine and led by as many as five shots before running into trouble and seeing his lead shrink to one stroke.

But he recovered from bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes and birdied Nos. 15 and 18 to finish 54 holes at 200, 16 under par.

Donnie Hammond, who shot a 66, was tied for second with Mike Hulbert, Billy Ray Brown and Mike Reid at 203.

“If I make more birdies, they’re going to have to play pretty well to catch me,” said Maggert, who grew up in The Woodlands. “I feel like there’s no reason I can’t go out and make more birdies.”

Maggert birdied the par-four 18th, sinking a 15-footer, while Brown, who had pulled to within one shot of the lead, hit into the water and salvaged a bogey.

Brown shot a 69 to go with 67s in the first two rounds.

Hammond is in danger of losing his exempt status for next year. His earnings of $79,388 rank him 146th on the PGA Tour money list. The top 125 finishers avoid qualifying school next year.

Rodger Davis of Australia shot a three-under-par 68 and tied Bernhard Langer for the lead in the Volvo Masters after three rounds at Sotogrande, Spain. Both are at four-under 209.

Mark James of England and Italy’s Constantino Rocca were tied for third, two strokes back.