Saturday, May 13 2006 10:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Irving: Arron Oberholser flirted with a 59 and finished with a 60 Friday, stealing the thunder of halfway leaders Adam Scott and Brett Wetterich at the Byron Nelson Championship.



Scott opened with a birdie, added two more at the third and eighth and also birdied the 12th and 14th holes in a 65 that left him level with Wetterich on 10-under par 130 after 36 holes.

The Aussie, coming off a third-place finish last week in Charlotte, seeks his fifth US PGA triumph and his first since a 2004 victory at Washington. Wetterich is in search of his first career PGA crown.

Americans Omar Uresti and Joe Ogilvie shared third on 133 with compatriots Steve Lowery and Oberholser and New Zealand's Phil Tataurangi another stroke back.

Oberholser barely missed becoming only the fourth man to fire a 59 on the US PGA Tour, settling for a 10-under par 60 on Friday.

Oberholser fired 10 birdies in a bogey-free round but parred the 18th to miss out on a chance to match compatriots David Duval, Chip Beck and Al Geiberger for a piece of golf history.

"It was a fabulous putting round," said Oberholser, who needed just 22 putts and shattered his previous best round of 64.

"It was arguably the best putting round of my PGA Tour career, without a doubt," he said. Oberholser opened with a birdie, followed with back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth holes and another at the eighth to make the turn at 30.

He began the back nine with four consecutive birdies and birdied the 16th and 17th to give himself a chance at a 59 on the closing hole.

"Walking to the (18th) green, man, I had a smile from ear to ear. It's just so cool," Oberholser said.

"It's the best nervous you can be because it's exciting. It's the same - you're just soaking it in," he said.

His 60 was still the low round of the year, and only the 17th recorded in the history of the PGA Tour.

The last player to shoot a 60 was 2006 Masters champion Phil Mickelson, who did it last year in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The 30-year-old Oberholser, who picked up his first career victory earlier this year at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, is more than pleased with the progress he has made this season.

"I think I'm improving," said Oberholser, who made his 11th straight cut. "My consistency is getting better. I'm focusing more on the mental aspect of the game than I have been.

I'm learning, I know the golf courses now, this being my fourth year. I'm settling in," he said," he said.

Scott posted his 65 without a bogey.

"It was solid ball-striking today," he said.

"I had a few more chances that I probably left out there, but it was pretty solid golf and I'm happy to go bogey-free," he said.



Wetterich's 64 included seven birdies and only one bogey. He never has placed better than his fourth-place finish at the Zurich Classic earlier this year.

England's Luke Donald, South African Trevor Immelman and Americans Bo Van Pelt and Bob Estes shared eighth on 135.

World No. 4 Vijay Singh of Fiji shot a 67 to move into a tie for 14th, seven shots off the pace.