POTOMAC, Md. – A curious fan watched Adam Scott hit a perfect wedge to 2 feet to set up a birdie at the eighth hole.

“What’s Scott’s first name?” the fan said out loud as he looked at the scoreboard.

Again, that would be Adam. Adam Scott. He’s only the No. 15 golfer in the world, and he’s turned this tournament into a rout.

The 23-year-old Australian survived the stiff breeze that stifled the most of the field Saturday and shot a 67 to take a six-stroke lead in the Booz Allen Classic. His 18-under 195 total tied the 54-hole TPC at Avenel record set by Hal Sutton in 1991.

“It’s almost poetry when it gets to being right, and the guy is on target now and playing beautifully,” said playing partner Olin Browne, second at 12 under.

Playing like that, is Scott impossible to catch?

“No,” Browne said. “We could slip him something in his food tonight.”

More seriously, he added: “If he shoots 2 or 3 under tomorrow, nobody is going to catch him.”

Purtzer extends lead at Bank of America championship

CONCORD, Mass. – Tom Purtzer’s short game made up for some shaky putting and put him in control for his second Champions Tour win of the season.

Purtzer followed an opening-round 65 with a 68 Saturday to move to 11 under and take a two-stroke lead over Walter Hall and John Jacobs in the Bank of America Championship at the Nashawtuc Country Club.

Purtzer missed birdie putts from less than 10 feet on Nos. 16 and 17, and then found himself in the rough after his second shot on the par-5 18th. But he saved himself with a wedge shot to 3 feet and made the putt – a task made more difficult thanks to his miscues on the previous two holes.

“If I would have missed that putt on 18 I would have been depressed,” said Purtzer. “But making birdie on 18 the way I did makes me feel good about my chances tomorrow.”

Hall, who says he’s finally healthy after battling back spasms most of the year, began the day at 5 under, two shots behind Purtzer.

He jumped into a tie for the lead with a birdie on No. 14, but the gave it back with a bogey on No. 16.

“I played real solid, except for one bad iron shot on 16,” Hall said. “All in all I can’t complain.”

Jacobs shot a 5-under 67 to jump into a tie for second. Jacobs, who hasn’t finished higher than 29th at Nashawtuc since 1998, joked his improved play can be attributed to his advancing age more than anything else.

Kim Saiki leads by one at Rochester LPGA

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – For the first time in 13 years, Kim Saiki has the lead going into the final round of a golf tournament. And she isn’t nervous.

“If you’re one shot ahead of the whole field … you’ve got to be pretty confident because you’re playing pretty good golf,” said Saiki, who shot a 4-under 68 Saturday to open a one-stroke lead over Rosie Jones after the third round of the Rochester LPGA.

While Jones “is a phenomenal player,” she said, “I think it’s going to be fun. I’m excited.”

Saiki, a 38-year-old Californian who’s been a runner-up four times since joining the tour in 1992, was at 13-under 203 after her third sub-70 round.

“I think of myself as a successful player,” she said. But to win “would be incredible. It’s what I’m out here for.”

Jones, looking for her third victory in seven years at the tree-lined Locust Hill course, was tied for the lead until the last hole. Her approach shot landed in a green-side bunker on No. 18 and she picked up her first bogey to finish with a 67.

“Being one shot back takes about 10 seconds to fix,” Jones said.

“Either I make a birdie or someone makes a mistake.”