Goydos shoots 63 and slips past Perry

Paul Goydos birdied five holes on the back nine Saturday and held a one-stroke lead over Kenny Perry after the third round of the Travelers Championship at Cromwell, Conn.

Goydos’ 28-foot putt from off the green on the 16th highlighted a third-round 63, tying Hunter Mahan for the best round of the day.

“I had a circus putt on 16,” Goydos said. “Again, it was turning lemons into lemonade. Those are the things that are the difference between maybe shooting 68 today and 63.”

Perry, who led after each of the first two rounds, had a seemingly comfortable three-stroke lead after birdies on 11 and 12. But he dropped a stroke on the 14th and Goydos took advantage, making four consecutive birdies starting on the par-five 13th.

After a rain delay of just over an hour, both golfers parred in. Perry missed a five-foot birdie try on 18 that would have given him a share of the lead minutes after Goydos misread the break on a 10-footer.

“When it gets dark I don’t see very good; I never had and I complain every time,” Perry said. “I can’t see the lines when it gets dark, and that’s just the way it was.”

David Toms shot a 66 and was in third place at 14 under par. Toms didn’t make his first bogey of the tournament until Saturday on the par-four 10th hole. John Merrick held the lead several times during the round, but a double bogey on 12 led to a three-stroke swing and put Perry back on top. Merrick finished with a 65, and was tied with Casey Wittenberg at 13 under.

Bo Van Pelt’s 23-foot birdie putt on the 18th capped a round of 64 that left him at 12 under for the tournament and in a three-way tie for sixth place with Tag Ridings and Ben Curtis.

“I’ve got to hit some fairways Sunday to go low enough to scare anybody,” Van Pelt said. “There are going to be some low scores Sunday. You better have your ears pinned back and go get some birdies.”

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Shin leads

Jiyai Shin shot a five-under 67 to extend her lead to four strokes at the Wegmans LPGA at Rochester, N.Y.

The South Korean star, seeking her fifth tour win in 11 months, moved to 16-under 200 after three rounds at the tree-lined Locust Hill course.

Morgan Pressel, a two-time winner whose season-best finish was a tie for seventh in April, shot a 70 and was in second place four strokes back. That was one better than rookie Stacy Lewis.

“Being in the second spot is never a bad spot unless it’s the end of the tournament, so I still have a chance,” Pressel said. “I have to go very, very low. She [Shin] is very steady . . . so I’ve got to go for birdies.”

Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, shot 75-74 and missed the cut in her pro debut.

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Funk in front

Fred Funk, who was limping badly just a few days ago after playing the grueling U.S. Open on his bum right knee, shot a seven-under 65 to gain a three-shot lead after two rounds at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open at Endicott, N.Y.

Funk, who was fitted with a new knee brace Wednesday, had eight birdies to go with one bogey to reach 15-under 129 and open a lead over Ronnie Black, defending champion Eduardo Romero and Lonnie Nielsen (66). Black and Romero each shot 63s, the best rounds of the day.

That Funk finished the round carrying an umbrella in a steady rain only made his smile a bit wider.

“My knee was horrible on Tuesday and now it feels great,” said Funk, who matched his 36-hole low on the Champions Tour. “It’s fun to be able to play without pain.”

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Gonzalez wins California Amateur

Geoff Gonzalez of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo won the 98th California State Amateur at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, becoming the first player in 15 years and only the 12th overall to win the championship and medalist honors.

The champion defeated 46-year-old Jeff Wilson of Fairfield, 3 and 2, in the 36-hole final.