Stricker stays three ahead

The world number eight spectacularly eagled two of his first five holes on a sweltering afternoon at Muirfield Village Golf Club but dropped two shots after the turn on the way to a three-under-par 69.

That left Stricker at 12-under 204 in the event hosted by Jack Nicklaus, with compatriot Jonathan Byrd in second spot after tapping in a two-foot birdie putt at the last for a matching 69.

Americans Matt Kuchar (68) and Brandt Jobe (69) were tied for third at eight under, one stroke better than compatriots Mark Wilson (66) and Shaun Micheel (67) and Britain's Rory McIlroy (71).

"It was a perfect start," Stricker told reporters after staying on track to claim his 10th US PGA Tour title.

"A little disappointing that I kind of let it slip away on the back nine and didn't really finish the round like I had hoped.

"But all in all, a good day. A 69 around here is a good score and I've still got a three-shot lead, so I'm in good position heading into Sunday."

Byrd, who won his fifth US PGA Tour title at the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January, liked his own prospects in the final round.

"I'm playing great golf right now, and you never know what's going to happen," said Byrd, who will play with Stricker in the final pairing on Sunday.

"This is a tough golf course. You can make bogeys at any stage of the game, and you've just got to keep playing and give yourself a chance."

Three ahead of the chasing pack overnight, Stricker made an explosive start by holing out with a sand wedge from 114 yards to eagle the par-four second.

He also eagled the par-five fifth, hitting a three-iron to seven feet and rolling in the putt to stretch his lead to four strokes at 13 under.

That made him only the 13th player on the US PGA Tour since 1983 to record eagles on a par-three, a par-four and a par-five hole in the same tournament. He had aced the par-three eighth in Saturday's third round.

Although Stricker bogeyed the par-four sixth after overhitting the green with his approach, he picked up further shots at the seventh and eighth -- where he sank a 24-footer -- to regain a four-stroke cushion.

However he struggled to maintain momentum on the more difficult back nine with the course running fast and firm and leaving no margin for error with tee shots and approaches.

He bogeyed the par-five 15th after his first two shots ended up in the left rough and also the par-three 16th after ending up in a greenside bunker and missing a four-foot putt.

Long regarded as one of the best putters on the US PGA Tour, Stricker lipped out with a birdie attempt from seven feet at the par-four 17th before parring the last.

"I started missing some putts," said Stricker, who failed to sink a four-footer for birdie at the 14th after twice backing away.

"All of a sudden things seemed pretty hard when, at the start of the day, things were really going my way."

Kuchar could sympathise, having birdied seven of the first 10 holes to claim outright second place before dropping shots at 15 and the last.

"A little disheartening," the world number seven said. "I felt like I really had it going and it's a little disappointing to drop a couple coming in, but it's a tough golf course.

"It's going to take a low number for anybody to knock Steve Stricker tomorrow to have a chance (to win)."