Bend, OR (My Sportsbook) - Fred Funk fired a seven-under 65 Saturday to move into the lead after three rounds of The Tradition, the Champions Tour's fourth major of the year.
Funk completed 54 holes at 16-under-par 200, one off the tournament's 54-hole record. Funk picked up his third Champions Tour win earlier this year at the MasterCard Championship and he will go for his first major championship title on any tour on Sunday.
Jay Haas, the Senior PGA Champion, bogeyed the 18th hole Saturday to fall into second place at minus-15. He carded a six-under 66 in round three.
Tim Simpson shared the lead with Bernhard Langer entering the round. Simpson posted a three-under 69 and is alone in third place at 13-under-par 203.
Langer only managed an even-par 72 and shares eighth place at minus-10 at Crosswater Golf Club at Sunriver Resort.
Funk and Haas shared third place to enter the round, but Funk played one group ahead of Haas. Funk opened with birdies on one and four, while Haas birdied the third and fourth.
Haas pushed one ahead with a birdie at the sixth, but Funk overtook Haas with birdies at seven and eight. Haas joined Funk at 13-under as he birdied the par-four ninth.
The 54-year-old Haas birdied the par-four 11th and came back with a birdie at 13 to get to 15-under. Funk birdied the 15th, but Haas responded with a birdie at 16 to remain two ahead of Funk at minus-16.
Funk got one stroke back as he converted a birdie try at the par-three 17th. He closed with a 15-foot birdie putt to get into the clubhouse at 16-under.
"I'm playing really well. I'm driving the ball well and I'm hitting a lot of really good irons, and I'm making some putts," said Funk, who is coming off a tie for second at the U.S. Senior Open. "Obviously, you've got to make some putts to shoot that.
"Today, I did that without birdieing any par-fives, which is pretty amazing. You'd think you'd birdie one or two to shoot that low. I'm real pleased with the way I'm hitting it, I'm real pleased to be in that last group and I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
Haas two-putted for par from the fringe at 17, then came up short of the green at the last. He chipped his third to 13 feet, then two-putted for bogey to fall one back. That was Haas' first bogey of the week.
"I need to drive the ball a little bit better. I wasn't real good off the tee and put myself in a couple of places I didn't need to be," stated Haas. "I still rolled the ball real nicely. If I can get the opportunities, I feel like I can make some birdies. Fred will be tough to catch though."
Joe Ozaki matched Tom Watson's day-old course record of eight-under 64 on Saturday. Ozaki moved into a tie for fourth at 12-under-par 204, where he was joined by Watson (68), Scott Hoch (66) and Mike Goodes (69).
Langer and Scott Simpson share eighth at minus-10.
Hale Irwin will need a magical round Sunday to join Jack Nicklaus in exclusive company with a win. Irwin would match Nicklaus in the all-time lead in Champions Tour majors with eight and the two would be the only two players to win four different majors on the elder circuit.
Irwin is nine shots off the lead at seven-under-par 209 after a third-round, even-par 72.
U.S. Senior Open winner Eduardo Romero managed a one-under 71 Saturday and is tied for 19th at six-under-par 210. Bruce Vaughan, who was a playoff winner at the Senior British Open, tripped to a two-over 74 and fell into a share of 44th at minus-one.
