Pavin closing in on first win since 1996

Corey Pavin will need just one more solid round to end a winless streak on the PGA Tour which stretches back to 1996

Corey Pavin will need just one more solid round to end a winless streak on the PGA Tour which stretches back to 1996. Pavin fired a two-under-par 68 on Saturday and has a two-shot lead after three rounds of the US Bank Championship.

Without a victory on the PGA Tour since capturing the Colonial in 1996, Pavin recorded five birdies and three bogeys in moving to 17-under, two strokes ahead of Jerry Kelly.

"I'm not out here to finish 20th every week, I want to win a golf tournament," Pavin said. "I've been working really hard for the last 10 years."

Pavin has been in control since starting the tournament on fire Thursday. The 46-year-old set a record for the best nine holes in PGA Tour history by shooting a 26 on the front nine en route to a 61, a record for the Brown Deer Golf Club.

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One of 77 players who needed to finish his second round earlier Saturday, the former US Open champion birdied three of his final five holes to grab a four-shot lead midway through, moving to 15-under.

His two-round score matched the lowest in PGA Tour annals, set by Tiger Woods in 2000 and matched by Mark Calcavecchia and Tom Lehman a year later. Pavin did hit some bumps in the third though, bogeying the fourth, fifth and
10th.

Those struggles left the door open for Kelly, who had six birdies in a bogey-free round for a 64.

"I'm striking it well," Kelly said. "I'm just going to stay in position. It's just a matter of getting it done tomorrow."

Frank Lickliter also carded a bogey-free 64 to sit three shots off the lead along with DJ Trahan, who hit a 65.

Nathan Green, who entered the third round in a tie for third, had just three birdies in a round of 67 to drop into a three-way tie with Shaun Micheel (65) and Billy Andrade (66) for fifth at 12-under.