Rookie Stays Cool, Increases Lead to 3

Zach Johnson’s first full day as the leader on the PGA Tour felt very familiar to him.

He played solidly, made putts when he needed to, and held on to the top spot.

“I really didn’t get nervous,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t feel that different. It’s just golf.”

The rookie shot a four-under-par 68 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead over Padraig Harrington and Scott Hend after the third round of the BellSouth Classic.

Harrington shot a 67, rallying after a triple bogey by making six birdies on his last 10 holes in the last event before the Masters. Coming off a second-place finish in the Players Championship last week -- his second consecutive runner-up finish in that tournament -- the Irish star is looking for his first victory on the PGA Tour.

“It would be important to win on the U.S. tour,” Harrington said. “I’m not putting pressure on myself to do it [here] or anything like that. We’ll wait and see how it goes.”

After leading the developmental Nationwide Tour in earnings in 2003, Johnson is off to a solid start this season. He has made four of six cuts and $335,031 -- good for 58th on the money list -- and he’s coming off a tie for sixth at Bay Hill in his previous start.

So far, life on the PGA Tour hasn’t fazed him.

“The crowds can probably get to you a little bit, with their chanting and whatnot,” Johnson said. “But I kind of enjoy that.”

He got a bit off track in the middle of the third round. On the par-five 10th, Johnson pulled his drive into the rough, and he put his next shot through the fairway into a bunker.

An indifferent pitch left him in a green-side bunker, but he splashed out close to the hole and made his par putt.

Down the stretch, he made back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17, then made a great saving par on the par-five 18th -- getting a drop off a fan’s towel -- to finish the round at 13-under 203.

“I did a good job of scrambling, especially early on the back nine,” Johnson said. “I hit some squirrelly shots, but I still felt good about things.”

Hend also had a 68, including an eagle on the last, where he hit a three-iron from 251 yards to only four feet.

Brian Gay (69) was four strokes back at nine under, and defending champion Ben Crane (71) was eight under.