Milwaukee, WI (Best E Casino) - Gavin Coles carded a two-under 68 Saturday to move into a share of the lead after three rounds of the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.
Coles joined Nick Flanagan atop the leaderboard at 11-under-par 199. Flanagan posted a one-under 69 in the third round to maintain the share of the lead that he shared overnight.
Jon Mills flew into a share of third place at minus-10 thanks to a six-under 64 Saturday. Mills shares third place with Ken Duke (68), George McNeill (66) and Richard S. Johnson (70). Johnson had shared the second-round lead with Flanagan.
Five more players, including defending champion Joe Ogilvie, are tied for seventh at nine-under-par 201 at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.
Coles moved into contention on Friday with an eight-under 62. He trailed by one to start the day, but bogeyed the first two holes to slide to minus-six.
He settled in with seven straight pars. Around the turn, Coles made his move.
Coles birdied the par-four 10th from 15 feet out and then got back to even-par for his round with a birdie at the 12th. He made it two in a row with an eight-foot birdie putt on No. 13.
The 39-year-old Coles climbed to 11-under with a tap-in birdie on the par-four 16th. He parred the last two to be the first one in at 11-under.
"With 18 holes to go, it's always nice to be in front," Coles said. "I had a pretty horrendous start with the bad weather. It was coming down pretty heavy. But after the second, the weather sort of settled down a bit and it was pretty easy after that, I thought. The weather was not a nuisance, and the course was there for some birdies."
Flanagan dropped a shot on the second, but recovered the lost stroke with a birdie at the third. He first got to minus-11 with a birdie on the par-five sixth.
The Australian gave that shot back as he bogeyed the ninth. Flanagan parred the first four holes around the turn before he birdied the par-three 14th.
Flanagan tripped to a bogey on 17 to fall one back again. However, he two- putted for birdie at the last to share the 54-hole lead for the first time in his PGA Tour career.
"I knew 18 was a little bit of an easier opportunity for a birdie, and I hit a really good drive down there," Flanagan explained. "I hit it as hard as I could and got it a long way down there. I had a perfect number for a big hybrid and hit it in there to about 12 feet. Thought I hit a perfect putt, not to sure how I missed. But it was a birdie and retained a share of the lead."
Ogilvie shares seventh place with Brandt Jobe (68), Chris Riley (67), Jason Gore (68) and Patrick Sheehan (68).
