HARRISON, N.Y., June 8 (UPI) -- Seeking his first win in 148 PGA Tour starts, Chris Smith played 30 holes in 5-under par Saturday and had a one-stroke lead through three rounds at the Buick Classic.
After rain hammered the course Thursday night and Friday morning, Smith was one of 78 players forced to return to Westchester Country Club early Saturday. He finished off a 2-under 69 before shooting a 67.
"It has been a long day," said Smith, who was a stroke ahead of second-round leader Loren Roberts and David Gossett.
Smith has just one more day before he returns home to Peru, Ind., for the first time in six weeks. He will not be playing in the U.S. Open next week after failing to qualify Monday.
"Obviously, the U.S. Open is a tournament that you want to play every year, if you can, and I'll miss it," he said. "But I assume that on Thursday evening when I'm playing golf with my two kids, I won't be missing it too bad."
Especially if he can win Sunday.
Roberts said he likes Smith's chances. He likes Smith's easy-going personality and physical presence, which he compared to Duffy Waldorf, the 1999 Buick Classic champion.
"He's built a lot like Duffy Waldorf or something like that and he can really hit the ball a long ways with not a whole lot of effort," Roberts said. "So he can overpower a golf course.
"I desperately want to win again, but I know what he's thinking about. You know, he's a pretty happy-go-lucky kind of personality. He's not an uptight personality. I think he will probably do well. I think he'll sleep better than most."
Smith began the week having missed the cut in six of his last nine starts. He began to turn around his game last week at the Kemper Open, tying for seventh by closing with rounds of 68-67.
"I think that I've finally started putting better," he said. "I got into a rotation of tournaments that I enjoy, and I got into a set of courses that I feel like are good for me."
Smith is one good round from a breakthrough victory. The 33-year-old won five times on the Buy.com Tour before joining the PGA Tour.
"It's something that I've worked for for a long time, and it would be great," he said. "On the other hand, if I don't win, I'm still going to be happy when I get home tomorrow night."
