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Weir In A Familiar Spot

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The Associated Press

Published: September 1, 2008

NORTON, Mass. - Mike Weir holed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 4-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead Sunday in the Deutsche Bank Championship, leaving him in a familiar position with hopes of a better outcome.

It was the 10th time the Canadian has had at least a share of the 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, but he has only one victory when leading going into the final round.

Protecting this one might be the toughest yet.
Camilo Villegas ignored the swirling wind and increasingly firm conditions at TPC Boston to shoot 63, putting him in the final group with Weir for perhaps his best chance at his first PGA Tour victory.

Three shots behind were Sergio Garcia (68) and Vijay Singh (69), part of the playoff last week at The Barclays that Singh won to move atop the standings in the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedEx Cup.

And right behind them were Jim Furyk, looking for his first victory in an otherwise solid year, Ernie Els and Ben Crane, whose 63 came during the morning before the wind hit full strength.

"I've got my hands full," said Weir, who was at 17-under 196.

Ten players were separated by five shots going into the Labor Day finish, the kind of shootout the Deutsche Bank Championship always seems to produce.

Tiger Woods isn't around to take part in this one, and neither is defending champion Phil Mickelson. He played an ordinary round of 1-over 72 and missed the 54-hole cut, leaving questions about whether he will play next week in St. Louis in the third round of these playoffs.

Weir has been around the week since opening with a 61, but he was equally pleased with a 67 considering he struggled to find fairways and hit only half the greens.

But he got moving in the right direction with a 7-iron that stopped just under 3 feet away on the 14th, one of only eight birdies on the day.

CHAMPIONS: Jeff Sluman won the First Tee Open for his second Champions Tour victory, closing with a 5-under 67 at Pebble Beach for a five-stroke victory over Fuzzy Zoeller and Craig Stadler.

Sluman, a six-time PGA Tour winner who won the Bank of America Championship in June for his first Champions Tour title, had a 14-under 202 total.

In 1992 at Pebble Beach, Sluman finished second in the U.S. Open and Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Zoeller shot a 69 for his best Champions Tour finish since 2004.

Stadler, the inaugural tournament winner in 2004, had a 71.

PGA EUROPEAN: At Gleneagles, Scotland, Gregory Havret shot a 3-under 70 for a one-stroke victory in the Johnnie Walker Championship.

Havret, who led after every round, sank a 10-foot par putt to win the title at 14-under 278. Graeme Storm, who birdied the last, was second, and Peter Hanson (69) and David Howell (71) shared third.

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