Scott McCarron seizes one-stroke lead at PGA Reno Open

Released on - Sunday,18 July , 2010 -04:44

Scott McCarron, who decided to skip the British Open to help out the PGA Tour in Reno, fired a five-under 67 to take a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Reno-Tahoe Open.

Tournament host McCarron finished 54 holes at the Montreux Golf and Country Club at 10-under 206.

Second-round co-leader Robert Garrigus bogeyed No. 18 for a one-over 73 and is tied for second place with John Mallinger (71). Garrigus and Mallinger are tied at nine-under 207.

Canadian rookie Graham DeLaet equalled the course record with a 10-under 62. He is tied with Aussie Rod Pampling, two shots adrift of McCarron.

American McCarron is seeking his first PGA Tour win in nine years and the fourth of his career.

"To win a tournament that you're hosting would be -- I can't even describe that. So I'm not going to go there right now," said McCarron.

"I'm just going to go out and enjoy my time up at Lake Tahoe and hang on the beach tonight and then tee it up again tomorrow and see how it goes."

McCarron made birdie on four of his first seven holes before chipping in for eagle on the par-five ninth.

McCarron used to live in Reno and accepted an offer to serve as the host of the tournament. The role includes helping the 12-year-old tournament get sponsorship so it can survive. But it also meant not going to the British Open.

"The British Open is one of my favourite tournaments and you can't win major tournaments if you're not playing them," said McCarron.

"Playing St. Andrews was something that I certainly was going to miss, but I knew how important it was to the community to get behind this tournament. We need to get a title sponsor to keep this tournament going and the only way to do that, I felt, was to get more involved."

"I'm very happy with my choice being here," McCarron added. "Hosting the tournament has gone extremely well and I've played pretty well so far, so I'd just like to finish this off.

McCarron, who has 11.5 million dollars in career winnings, has not held a 54-hole lead since 2002.

DeLaet had six of his 10 birdies on the front nine and finished without a bogey for his 62, matching the course record.

"It was just one of those days," said the 28-year-old DeLaet of Weyburn, Saskatchewan.

DeLaet only realized he was on pace to break the course record after his birdie try on No. 18 came up short.

"I figured it would be probably close, but when you're playing so well, you don't really think about anything like that," he said.