Matt Weibring holds narrow lead at Midwest Classic

Overland Park, KS – Matt Weibring carded a 6-under 65 on Saturday to grab a 1-shot lead after three rounds of the Midwest Classic.

Weibring, who will go for his first tour win on Sunday, finished 54 holes at 14-under 199.

Defending champion James Nitties posted his second straight 66 to move into second place at minus-13. He has a chance to become the first player in tour history to repeat as champion.

Jamie Lovemark fired the low round of the day with his 8-under 63 and soared into a share of third place at 12-under 201. He stands alongside second-round leader Bryan DeCorso (69), Paul Claxton (67), Russell Henley (67) and Christopher DeForest (68).

Weibring poured in four consecutive birdie chances from the third to jump to 12-under. He gave one of those strokes back as he tripped to a bogey on the par-3 eighth on the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate.

He atoned for that mistake with a birdie on the par-4 10th. Weibring also birdied the 12th to move to 13-under before parring his next five holes.

"I got off to the good start with those birdies on the front nine and then made those two early on the back nine," Weibring stated. "I also made a good up and down on No. 14."

After his run of pars, Weibring converted an 8-footer for birdie at the last.

"It's always good to finish with a birdie like I did regardless if it's Thursday or Saturday or Sunday," Weibring stated. "I really didn't look at a leaderboard today. I just wanted to get myself in a good position for tomorrow and this round puts me in a good position. We've got one more round to go and I just have to keep making birdies and playing well with hopes that with five or six holes to go you're in the mix."

Nitties birdied the first and third, but gave a shot back when he bogeyed the fifth. He made the turn at 10-under after a birdie on the ninth.

The Australian ran off four birdies in a 5-hole span from the 12th to jump to 14-under but bogeyed the 17th to end one back.

"I got a little rattled at the start today and didn't seem to have my tempo and made some terrible pars. You've really got to score on those first seven holes, but I played really good on the back nine, which is not really a scoring nine. I'm really happy where I am," said Nitties.

NOTES: This is Weibring's 150th tour start and his best previous finish is a share of third at the 2008 BMW Charity Pro-Am...It was the second time Weibring held a piece of the lead entering the final round.