Leonard laps field, leads by 8

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Justin Leonard isn't trying to blow out the rest of the field. It just looks that way.

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Leonard played conservatively and still shot 4-under-par 66 on Saturday in the St. Jude Classic to extend his lead to eight strokes, the largest 54-hole advantage on the PGA Tour this year.

"It's nice to have a lead certainly a lead this big," Leonard said. "Today I just wanted to go out and play solid. I was able to do that and avoid making any mistakes, made a couple putts along the way."

The largest 54-hole lead previously on tour had been seven strokes, by Phil Mickelson at Pebble Beach and this past week by Kenny Perry at Colonial. Both went on to win. In fact, this is the 13th time someone has had a 54-hole lead of eight strokes or higher since 1970, and the previous 12 went on to win.

Leonard, who began the third round with a five-stroke lead, had four birdies in his bogey-free round to reach 17-under 193.

Now the Texan, who won the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in January for his ninth tour title, only has to avoid hurting himself to join Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Mickelson and Perry as multiple winners on the tour this year.

Leonard pointed out he chose a 3-wood instead of driver on No. 10 and Nos. 17 and 18 to avoid trouble. He also hit to the left fringe on the toughest hole on the course, the par-3 14th, to stay away from the water along the front of the green.

"I plan to continue to do that. If I get a short iron in my hand and it's a short yardage, I might go hit at a flag. I haven't been hitting it at the hole, every hole, all week. That's for sure," Leonard said.

Heath Slocum (67) led the group playing for second at 9-under. Tom Pernice (68) was 8-under, and Davis Love III (68), Fred Funk (66) and Paul Goydos (70) were another stroke back.

Goydos has needed only 68 putts through 54 holes and has one-putted 40 times this week. The tour record for fewest putts in a 72-hole event is 92 by David Frost in the 2005 MCI Heritage.

Nobody in tour history has blown a seven-stroke lead, and Leonard has been on cruise control since opening with 62, his lowest round since 2003. He has had only one bogey through the first three rounds and was one of only two golfers to go bogey-free Saturday along with Funk.

Leonard, who ranks 140th on the tour in driving distance at 278.6 yards, was an example of precision Saturday, hitting 10 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation. He needed 28 putts, his most this week, but only because he left himself short par saves.

Leonard has never led a tournament wire-to-wire and won before.