Luke Donald enters final round of The Heritage with lead

Luke Donald carded a third-round 1-under 70 on Saturday to sit at 11-under 202 at The Heritage. He’ll enter the
final round with a one-stroke lead over 2010 Heritage champion Jim Furyk.  Donald has carried the lead into the final round on the PGA TOUR six previous times, with his only win coming at the 2006 Honda Classic. He also led after 54 holes at the 2002 Southern Farm Bureau Classic, and was later declared the winner without playing the final round due to inclement weather.

Donald has four top 10s in five previous starts on TOUR this season, with his only missed cut coming in his first start of the season at the Northern Trust Open. In his last eight starts, he has four top-5 finishes and six top-10s.  Donald goes to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings with a win, even if Lee Westwood wins in Indonesia this week. Martin Kaymer, who is not playing this week, will remain No. 1 if Donald or Westwood do not win.

Coming into the week, Donald led the TOUR in scoring average at 69.28 and putting average (1.703).

Defending champion Jim Furyk carded a third-round 69 and will enter the final round one stroke behind Luke Donald. Furyk kept an 18-year streak alive this week, as no defending champion has missed the cut at The Heritage since Davis Love III in 1993.  Furyk, making his 13th start at The Heritage, now has 10 made cuts and five top-10s here. He is hoping to join three repeat Heritage winners: Payne Stewart (1989-90), Davis Love III (1991-92) and Boo Weekley (2007-08).  Furyk’s winning score last year at The Heritage was 13-under.  Last year, Furyk was the 11th Heritage champion to shoot four rounds in the 60s and the 26th player overall. He enters the final round as the only player in the field with a chance to perform the feat this week.

Verplank turned in a third-round 4-uner 67 to move to 9-under and T3. He is making just his sixth start of the season, with a T2 at the Shell Houston Open his best outing.

Current FedExCup points leader and two-time 2011 winner Mark Wilson stands at T12 in his fifth start at The Heritage.

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