Golf Notebook | Matteson's 65 gives him lead

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Troy Matteson has turned his rookie season into a rousing success. He did it in four weeks, too.

Matteson birdied the last two holes Saturday, finished with a 7-under 65 and had a one-shot lead at 19-under 197 after the third round of the Funai Classic at Disney.

Joe Durant (64) was second at 18 under, one stroke ahead of first- and second-round leader Justin Rose (72). Twenty others — including Davis Love III, Mark Calcavecchia and Mike Weir — were within six shots of the leader.

Matteson, meanwhile, is starting to get accustomed to being on the leaderboard. He tied for eighth four weeks ago at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, then had a sixth-place finish the following week in Greensboro. The two-week spree moved him from 172nd on the money list to 143rd — in position to retain his full-time tour card.

It got even better last week in Las Vegas, where Matteson won the Frys.com Open for his first PGA Tour title. The victory vaulted him to 71st on the money list.

Now, he's looking to make it two in a row — and has a shot at qualifying for the 2007 Masters.

"It's been good to see my game turn around," said Matteson, a three-time All-American at Georgia Tech and the 2002 NCAA champion. "To win out here once is pretty difficult. To do it two or three or four times, it's extremely difficult."

Durant and Rose know all about that.

Durant hasn't won since March 2001 at Doral, a five-year streak he's ready to end.

"You always go through periods of doubt," Durant said. "The guys are so good and you wonder if you can still cut the mustard at all. You just keep grinding, you keep playing, you keep working on your game and hopefully you'll start to see some positive signs."

Durant saw plenty of positive signs Saturday, especially on the front nine of the Magnolia Course. He made five birdies and an eagle for a 29.

He settled for staying near the head of the field.

Rose was there, too. Still buoyed by his 12-under 60 on Thursday, the Englishman completed the second round Saturday morning and began the third with a four-shot lead. He faded fast, though, shooting 2 over on the front.

Rose may be best known for his dramatic finish as a 17-year-old amateur in the 1998 British Open, when he chipped in for birdie on the final hole to tie for fourth. But recently he has developed a penchant for falling back in final rounds.

"I don't think you accept it," Rose said. "If you keep doing everything right and you keep doing the same things and create the right mind-set you can keep playing great golf."

Other tournaments

• Nicole Castrale remained in position to win her first LPGA Tour title, shooting a 4-under 68 in hot conditions to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Honda LPGA Thailand in Chonburi.

The 27-year-old American birdied the first four holes on the Amata Spring course, holing a 20-foot putt on No. 1, hitting a lob wedge to 3 feet on No. 2 and adding 15-footers on Nos. 3 and 4.

Castrale, in her first full season on the tour, had an 11-under 133 total. South Korea's Hee-Won Han (68) is 9 under and Christina Kim (66) is 8 under.

• Fred Funk shot a 4-under 67 to maintain a one-stroke lead in the AT&T Championship in San Antonio, his third event on the Champions Tour.

The 50-year-old Funk, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, had a 10-under 132 total on the Oak Hills course. Raymond Floyd (66) was a stroke back, and defending champion Jay Haas (64) was two shots behind along with Keith Fergus (67) and Scott Simpson (68).

• Niclas Fasth and Gary Murphy each shot even-par 70 to maintain their one-stroke lead at the Mallorca Classic in Son Servera.

Fasth and Murphy, at 3-under 207 overall, have shared the lead since the first round.

• Jeff Coston of Blaine holds a one-stroke lead in the Callaway Golf Senior PGA Professional National Championship in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Coston enters the final round with a 15-under 201 after shooting a 65.

Note

• Annika Sorenstam and Natalie Gulbis will tee it up today against Tom Watson and Donald Trump in the Manhattan (N.Y) Golf Classic billed as the "Battle of the Sexes."