Mac Meissner has held onto the lead in the Barracuda Championship, following a late par save with a tap-in birdie in the only PGA Tour event that uses the modified Stableford scoring system.
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Meissner had a one-point lead over fellow American Vince Whaley, reaching 39 points on Saturday with 13 in the round delayed by about 90 minutes in the afternoon because of lightning.
Chad Ramey (33), tied for sixth, was the only PGA Tour winner in the top eight after three rounds on Tahoe Mountain Club's Old Greenwood course.
"By the time I tee off tomorrow I probably won't be in the lead," Meissner said.
"So, that will be nice. I'll be able to still feel like I can chase, because it's always easier to win a golf tournament when you're coming from behind."
Players receive eight points for a double eagle, five for eagle and two for birdie. A point is deducted for bogey and three for double bogey.
Meissner eagled the par-5 third, making a six-footer, and got up-and-down from 230 yards for par on the par-5 15th by sinking a 20-footer.
In his 23rd PGA Tour start, the 25-year-old then hit to two feet on the 196-yard 16th to set up a birdie, but missed a five-foot birdie try on 17 and also parred 18.
"Sometimes, you're going to hit good putts and they're not going to go in, like it did on 17," Meissner said.
"So, just trying to be as confident over the ball as possible and trying to have as good speed and if it matches and goes in, then all the better."
Whaley had a 16-point round. He rebounded from a bogey on the second with an eagle on the third and had six birdies, the last on the par-4 18th.
"Eagles are nice out here," he said.
"Just hit an 8-iron in there and made a little 20-footer up the hill. That definitely got the round going."
Rico Hoey (36) of the Philippines, coming off a playoff loss last week in Kentucky, was third after a 15-point afternoon.
Patrick Fishburn and Max Greyserman had 34 points. Another American in Chad Ramey was a point back along with England's Marcus Armitage and South African Casey Jarvis, who both enjoyed equal-best 16-point rounds.
With three weeks left in the FedEx Cup regular season, Meissner is 103rd, Whaley 167th and Hoey 111th. The top 70 will advance to the playoffs.
Australian Associated Press
