By ,
Published May 03, 2016
Fort Worth, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Na managed a 1-under 69 on Saturday and ended three rounds one stroke clear of the field at the Crowne Plaza Invitational.
Na finished 54 holes at 11-under-par 199. He will go for his second PGA Tour win on Sunday.
Ian Poulter stumbled to a 4-putt double-bogey to fall from a share of the lead. He got those shots back en route to posting a 68 at Colonial, which left him one stroke off the lead at minus-10.
Charley Hoffman climbed into third place at 9-under-par 201 thanks to a third- round 66. Chris Kirk (65) and Brandt Snedeker (66) share fourth place at minus-8.
Rory Sabbatini also posted a 4-under 66 to move into a tie for sixth. He stands alongside George McNeill (69), Brian Harman (69) and Kevin Kisner (67) at 7-under-par 203.
Defending champion Adam Scott (66) and Masters winner Jordan Spieth (67) are among seven players that share 10th place at minus-6.
Na followed a pair of pars to open his round with a 16-foot birdie effort at the third. At the fifth, a bad drive led to a bogey, which dropped him back to minus-10.
The 31-year-old ran off five pars in a row from the sixth. He played his third on the par-5 11th to seven feet and he rolled that in for birdie. After a trio of pars, Na missed the green at the 15th, but chipped to five feet.
Na failed to convert that par putt to slip back into a share of the lead with Poulter. Na atoned for that mistake with a 14-foot birdie effort at No. 17. He parred the last to end one clear of Poulter.
"It wasn't playing easy. It was a bit breezy. It was tough to judge the distance on some of the shots, and I hung in there today," said Na. "I broke par, and I still have the lead, which is good. I made a great bogey on five ... it was nice to close with a birdie and a par on 18."
Poulter opened a steady front nine with a short birdie effort at the first. He parred five in a row before pouring in a 30-footer for birdie on the seventh.
That gave the Englishman a share of the lead, but he didn't stay there long. Poulter parred eight and nine, before his putter let him down at the 10th.
Poulter's approach stopped 16 feet from the hole. He ran his first two putts by the hole, then failed to make his bogey try. The double-bogey dropped Poulter two back.
He came right back with a 6-footer for birdie at 11 and briefly reclaimed a piece of the lead thanks to a 32-foot birdie putt on the 15th. Poulter parred the final three to finish there.
"I played lovely. Overall assessment of the round of golf - I put myself in position, gave myself plenty of chances, took a few, and then had a bizarre 4- putt on 10, which was strange to be honest. As good as I putted all week, as good as my stroke felt all week, that one was just strange," Poulter said. "I'm in a good position and I'm happy with my game."
McNeill birdied four of the first six holes to soar into a share of the lead. However, he had three bogeys and nine pars over the final 12 holes to slide four behind.
NOTES: This is the fifth time Na has owned the 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour ... He won one of the previous four times he was in that position ... Tee times were moved up again on Sunday with inclement weather in the forecast ... Harrison Frazar, Chad Collins, Jarrod Lyle, Steve Wheatcroft, Patrick Rodgers, John Peterson and Kyle Reifers missed the secondary cut after the third round.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/na-stays-on-top-at-colonial