Merritt hangs on to lead after 69 at RBC Heritage

hilton head island, s.c.» Troy Merritt fired a 2-under-par 69 to take a three-shot lead over defending champion Matt Kuchar, Brendon Todd and Kevin Kisner after Saturday’s third round of the RBC Heritage.

Merritt finished at 14-under 199, two off the 54-hole scoring record set by Justin Leonard in his 2002 victory. Todd made the big move with a 63, the day’s lowest round. Kisner shot 67, and Kuchar posted a 68.

Jim Furyk led a group another stroke behind after a 68, with Masters champion Jordan Spieth five shots back, also after a 68.

Brice Garnett and Branden Grace were tied with Furyk in fifth. Garnett shot 65, and Grace 66. Bo Van Pelt was 9-under along with Spieth after a 67.

The pack of seven players at 8-under included 2013 winner Graeme McDowell, former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and former world No. 1 Luke Donald.

All of them will have to chase down Merritt, the 54-hole leader for the first time in his career. His best finish on the PGA Tour is a second in Memphis, Tenn., last year.

Merritt put a ball in the water on the par-4 eighth hole — “It was a spectacular splash,” he said — leading to a double bogey and reducing his lead to a stroke. That’s when Merritt regrouped and responded, making a birdie on the ninth to regain his rhythm.

“I was going to try and get the momentum back,” Merritt said. “And I was able to do that.”

Kuchar overcame a double-bogey 5 after hitting a tree on the seventh hole to keep within reach of playing partner Merritt.

“There’s a tree that hangs out over the green protecting that, and it was a Dikembe Mutombo swat away from the basket,” Kuchar said. “That was tough.”

Olin Browne shot a tournament-record 8-under 64 to take the secondround lead in the Champions Tour’s Greater Gwinnett Championship and then watched Bernhard Langer make a 30-foot eagle putt on No. 18 to match the mark and pull within a stroke in Duluth, Ga. … Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat shot a 4-under 68 to take a two-stroke lead over Peter Uihlein (71—206) after the third round of the inaugural Shenzhen International in China, though he let a five-shot advantage slip to two strokes with a double bogey-bogey on his final two holes. … Two-time Masters champion Tom Watson said his next visit to play Augusta National might be his last.