SILVIS, Ill., July 27 (UPI) -- J.P. Hayes and Robert Gamez dueled to a stalemate on the back nine Saturday and wound up tied for the lead after the third round of the John Deere Classic.
On a steamy day at the TPC at Deere Run, no one was hotter down the stretch than Hayes and Gamez.
Hayes birdied the final three holes and four of the last five to turn a ho-hum round into a 4-under-par 67. Winless in 12 years, Gamez fired a 66 that ended with back-to-back birdies. Both players had 54-hole totals of 18-under 195.
First-round leader Mike Heinen was alone in third place at 15-under after matching Gamez's 66.
Another stroke back were Chris Riley and Briny Baird while Tim Petrovic was five shots behind the leaders at 13-under 200.
Fred Funk, who shared the second-round lead with Hayes, had his bogey-free streak end at 43 holes and struggled to a 2-over 73 that left him in a six-way tie for seventh at 201.
There were nine rounds of 66 or better shot Saturday at Deere Run.
