SCOT SHOOTS THIRD-ROUND 66 AT SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

MONTY IN THE MIX AT FINAL EVENT

 OF CHAMPIONS TOUR 

                                          COLIN MONTGOMERIE .. two shots off the lead
FROM THE US CHAMPIONS' TOUR WEBSITE
Jay Haas' Saturday struggles opened the door for an exciting Sunday finish at the Schwab Cup Championship at Scottsdale, Arizona.

So, finally, drama at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
The final event of the Champions Tour season began with the Charles Schwab Cup competition decided. Bernhard Langer clinched the season-long $1 million bonus last week at the AT and T Championship and Colin Montgomerie had the No. 2 spot wrapped up.
Then, through two rounds this week at Desert Mountain Club, it looked like record-setting Jay Haas was poised for a runaway victory.

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SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP: Scores

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"I thought he was going to be uncatchable," Kenny Perry said.
But 40 minutes into Haas' round Saturday, it all changed. Haas, with a double-bogey 6 at the fourth hole, shot 75 and opened the door for a Sunday shoot-out after starting the round with a four-shot lead over Tom Pernice Jr.,
Perry and Pernice share the lead at 8-under 202. Perry shot 68, Pernice 70.
Eleven golfers are within four shots of the lead and it is an imposing contingent. The list includes the top four on the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points list: 
Bernhard Langer (70-206), Colin Montgomerie (66-204), Haas (203) and Perry (202). Fred Couples (69-204), Michael Allen (70-205) and Pernice are 7-9 on the list.
"I think it will be exciting (Sunday), for one thing," Perry said. "It's anybody's day. You've got probably eight to 10 guys who have a very realistic shot of winning this golf tournament and it's just one hot round.

"We've got one round left in the season, we're all going to be kind of going for it, and it just seems whoever's going to get the putter rolling going to be the guy that's going to win this golf tournament."
Perry relinquished the Charles Schwab Cup to Langer but the man from Kentucky has no misgivings.
"It's been a good defence," Perry said. "I've enjoyed being the Schwab Cup champ, being announced that on every tee box, and it's been very thrilling for me and I put up a good fight. I'm fourth in points, but Bernhard, you've just got to shake that man's hand.
"He won five times and I don't know how many second places he's had. I tell everybody I stuck the prod in him a little too much last year. I was aggravating him after I nipped him for the cup and I think he was determined not to let that happen this year. But good for him, he played great."
Pernice, in the final twosome with Haas, said neither played well enough to give the pairing any momentum.
"Jay and I both struggled a little bit today, didn't help each other out much, not much momentum going there," Pernice said. "It can happen. Two things that are tough in scoring are firm greens and wind, and we had a little bit of both.
"We're all human and things can happen. Jay may come back tomorrow and shoot 65 and win. It's a fickle game. Very seldom is it the same every day, so you're just going to have to deal with it, try to get through it. 
"We both had some struggles out there and hit some poor shots, but we both still have a good opportunity."
 THIRD-ROUND LEADERS
  Par 210 (3x70)
202 Tom Pernice jun (USA) 65 67 70, Kenny Perry(USA) 66 68 68
203 Jay Haas (USA) 66 62 75
204 Fred Couples (USA) 71 64 69, Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 71 67 66