Scott has three-shot lead going into final round

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IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Adam Scott again topped the leaderboard at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship Saturday. His solid third-round finish, and Kevin Sutherland's unfortunate one, made sure that happened.

As the highest-ranked player in the field, Adam Scott is drawing a decent following in Dallas. (Dunn/Getty Images

Scott's event stats

Stat Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Eagles -- -- -- Birdies 5 5 5 Pars 11 11 11 Bogeys 1 2 2 Double bogeys 1 -- -- Other -- -- -- Driving accuracy 64 36 57 Driving distance 296.5 308.0 316.5 Putts per round 27 27 27 Putts per GIR 1.636 1.583 1.769 GIR 61 67 72 Sand saves 33 -- 100

Scott, who at No. 10 in the world is the highest-ranked player in the field, overcame two front-nine bogeys and shot a 3-under 67 Saturday to get to 8-under 202. The Australian star birdied two of the last three holes, including a 3-footer at the 429-yard 18th hole.

That put him three strokes ahead of a quartet of players -- Sutherland (67), Bart Bryant (67), Charley Hoffman (68) and Ryan Moore (68). Sergio Garcia, after a season-best 65, was four strokes back along with Dudley Hart (66) and Jesper Parnevik (68).

Sutherland, whose only PGA TOUR victory came six years ago, was at 7 under with a one-stroke lead over Scott until he bogeyed the final two holes.

After missing a 7-foot par putt on the 198-yard 17th hole, Sutherland pushed his final tee shot way right into heavy rough -- and was still in the rough after his punch shot. He finally got to the front edge of the green and two-putted from 70 feet.

"I have to remember what I did before that," Sutherland said. "I had a good rhythm going, a good feeling and tried to keep doing that. ... I kind of got away from that maybe at the end."

While Sutherland was getting spectators moved out of the way for his first shot out of the rough at No. 18, Scott missed a chance for a bigger margin when his 9-foot birdie attempt at the 504-yard 15th hole drifted left only inches away from the hole. But Scott didn't wait long for another birdie chance.

Scott missed the fairway on the par-5 16th hole, laid up into the fairway and put his approach shot inside 6 feet to set up a birdie. After his aggressive birdie attempt at 17 rolled 6 feet past the hole, Scott's approach at 18 was right on the pin.

In his only other EDS Byron Nelson Championship appearance two years ago, Scott shared the lead at the end of each of the first three rounds. A closing 71 left him in third place behind Brett Wetterich and Trevor Immelman, who missed the cut this year in his first tournament since winning the Masters.

Scott's round began with his opening tee shot landing in a fairway bunker, though he saved par with a two-putt from 17 feet before missing a 6-foot-par chance at the 221-yard second hole. There were consecutive birdies before Scott missed the fairway at the 451-yard eighth hole for a bogey, his last of the day.

"It was a bit of a slow start for me. I never really got going on the front," Scott said. "I knew a solid nine holes would do me good. ... No. 16 and 18 were key. I finished the day with a couple of nice wedge shots, and that makes it a little buffer going into (Sunday)."

The renovated TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course could play much differently for the final round because of an overnight forecast for inclement weather and more than an inch of rain. Tournament officials will use threesomes for the final round, teeing off from Nos. 1 and 10.

Garcia had his best scoring round of the season despite hitting only two of 14 fairways. He bailed himself out of trouble with his short game and his putter, an 8-year-old one he recently pulled out of his old bags. He needed only 27 putts.

"I loved it as soon as I put it down. It just gave me a good vibe," Garcia said. "It's just that old feeling from years back when you did well and you holed putts and stuff."

Garcia, the 2004 champion here, had three birdies his first seven holes, starting with an approach to 7 feet on the opening hole. His only bogey came at No. 8, when he had his only three-putt -- from 72 feet. He added three more birdies after that.

Notes: Garcia was the last 54-hole leader to win this event. ... Steve Marino holed a birdie from 66 feet and a greenside bunker at the second hole. Not to be outdone, playing partner Eric Axley chipped in a 61-footer from the fairway after missing the green short. ... Justin Leonard had two triple bogeys in a round of 74. ... Defending champion Scott Verplank had all five of his bogeys in his first 10 holes on way to a 73. He was 12 strokes off the lead.