Ryuji Imada and Troy Matteson remained tied for the AT&T Classic lead on Saturday, shooting 3-under-par 69s to carry a two-stroke advantage over Camilo Villegas into the final round in Duluth, Ga.
Imada, a former University of Georgia player, and Matteson, a former Georgia Tech star, had 13-under 203 totals. Villegas was 11-under after a 68, and Masters champion Zach Johnson (69), local favorite Matt Kuchar (64) and Lee Janzen (67) were 10-under.
Imada nearly eagled the par-5 18th despite flying his shot over the rear bunker. He tapped in after chipping within a foot of the hole, a shot that caused many in the gallery to bark in approval at the former Georgia Bulldogs standout.
Matteson had a two-stroke lead over his playing partner after a birdie at the par-4 14th, but Imada set up his spectacular finish with a birdie at the par-3 16th.
Villegas, a 25-year-old Colombian, moved into a share of the lead with three straight birdies before bogeying No. 8.
Matteson closed last season with five straight top-10 finishes, including his first career victory, but he arrived this week having missed six cuts in his past eight events.
Champions Tour: Bob Gilder overcame back problems to take a two-stroke lead over Scott Hoch (71) at the Regions Charity Classic in Hoover, Ala., shooting a 6-under 66.
Seve Ballesteros struggled again in his first tour start, following his opening 78 with an 81. The five-time major winner was last in the 78-player field at 15-over.
LPGA Tour: Sarah Lee shot a near-flawless 7-under 65 to open a two-shot lead over Lorena Ochoa (67) at the Sybase Classic in Clifton, N.J.
PGA European Tour: Padraig Harrington (71) stretched his lead to three shots at the Irish Open in Adare, where he is trying to become the first Irishman to win since John O’Leary in 1982.
