Clark vaults to the top with a 62

N.C. State alumnus flirts with a 59

Tim Clark matched his best score on the PGA Tour with a 62. He made two eagles in a span of three holes, nearly driving a par 4. And he wound up with a one-shot lead in the Deutsche Bank Championship at Norton, Mass.

The South African poured in birdies at such an alarming rate Saturday on the TPC Boston that after making his second eagle, from just over 20 feet on the 298-yard fourth hole, he was 10 under through 13 holes.

Two birdies over his final five holes -- one of them a par 5 -- and he would have a 59.

And after a beautiful sand wedge to 3 feet on the par-5 seventh to reach 11 under for his round, he only needed one birdie over the final two holes to become the fourth player to shoot golf's magic number on the PGA Tour.

"For a while there, there certainly was a chance of 59," he said.

His hopes ended with a 3-iron hybrid right of the 222-yard eighth hole and an 8-foot par putt he failed to convert.

"That was end of the dream," he said.

Clark bogeyed his final two holes and still shot a 9-under 62, giving him a one-shot lead over Mike Weir of Canada going into the final two rounds at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

But a dozen players were separated by four shots, including Barclays winner Vijay Singh.

The group does not include British Open and PGA champion Padraig Harrington. He battled back with a 65, but still missed the cut for the second straight week and now is in jeopardy of missing the Tour Championship. Masters champion Trevor Immelman made the cut by one shot after a 67, and he might be the only major champion at East Lake.

Singh picked up three birdies on the final four holes for a 66 and was two shots back at 12-under 130, along with former British Open champion Ben Curtis, who had a 65.

Jim Furyk (65), Sergio Garcia (64) and Ernie Els (65) were in the group at 131 that also included Kevin Streelman

Here's a playoff first: Because more than 78 players made the cut (86), there will be a 54-hole cut on Sunday to the top 70, meaning some players, such as Rocco Mediate, better play hard.

Strangely enough, Clark only cared about making the cut when he began the second round.

He put those fears to rest quickly with birdies of 20 feet and 15 feet on his opening two holes, added an 18-foot birdie on the 14th hole, then turned it on starting with the 17th.

His 7-iron settled 2 feet away for birdie, then came an easy up-and-down from behind the par-5 18th green. Clark hit a 9-iron to 2 feet on No. 1, then a 3-iron hybrid over the hazard to 8 feet for eagle on No. 2.

Golf's magic number didn't cross his mind until a big drive to the front edge of the par-4 fourth, and an eagle putt from just over 20 feet that put him 10 under through 13 holes.

"Although I had 59 in my mind once I made that putt, it certainly didn't affect my golf," Clark said. "I hit a couple of bad tee shots coming in, but I certainly felt I could hit a few good shots."

Even so, he had the lead at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

ALSO SATURDAY

JOHNNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIP: France's Gregory Havret birdied the last hole for a 4-under 69 and a one-stroke lead over England's Anthony Wall after the third round at Gleneagles, Scotland.

Havret, whose last European tour victory was in Scotland at Loch Lomond last year, had an 11-under 208 total on the PGA Centenary Course. Wall shot a 65.

Marcel Siem (66), Lee Westwood (66), Ricardo Gonzalez (67), David Howell (68) and Soren Hansen (68) were two strokes back. Colin Montgomerie appeared to have lost his chance of a Ryder Cup wild card after shooting a 76 to drop to 1 over.