Weir jumps ahead of Villegas with late birdie

NORTON, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Canadian Mike Weir, who relied on his short game throughout the day, birdied the final hole to snatch a one-shot lead after Sunday's third round at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

A stroke off the pace overnight, the left-hander fired a four-under-par 67 in tough, breezy conditions to overhaul Colombian Camilo Villegas with a 17-under tally of 196 at the TPC Boston.

Weir had forged one ahead with two holes to play in bright late summer sunshine but bogeyed the 17th after missing the green to the left with his approach.

Although the 2003 Masters champion pulled his tee shot into the left rough at the par-five last, he laid up in two before hitting a wedge to five feet and calmly rolling in the birdie putt.

"I've been playing well the last month or so and have been building on that," Weir told reporters after holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead for the 10th time on the PGA Tour.

"Today wasn't textbook at all. I really had to rely on my short game. Tomorrow I just want to keep playing my type of golf. Hopefully, I can hit it a little better and find a few more fairways.

"I'm in a good mental state that I was able to battle off a so-so ball-striking round and come out with four-under," added Weir, who hit only seven fairways out of 14 and chipped in for birdie at the 15th. "I'm happy with that."

Villegas, seeking his maiden PGA Tour title, matched the best round of the day with a sparkling 63 to rocket up the leaderboard.

The 23-year-old defied swirling winds and hard, fast-running greens with a run of three birdies in the last five holes to briefly hold the outright lead before Weir's late flourish.

"What a great day!" a beaming Villegas said after a bogey-free round. "Eight under on a day where the greens got a little firmer and the wind was blowing.

TRICKY WIND

"It was a little tricky, the wind. It was pretty much sideways on every hole and it was hard knowing whether it was helping a little bit or hurting a little bit.

"Hopefully I'll have a great round tomorrow and we make it a very special week."

Overnight leader Tim Clark, also hunting his first PGA Tour victory, forged two strokes clear early in the round before fading with six bogeys in nine holes.

South African Clark partially recovered with birdies on the last two holes for a 73 and a tie for eighth at 12 under.

"It was tough scoring for me," said Clark, who had briefly raised hopes of a magical 59 on Saturday before bogeying the last two holes for a 62.

"I felt like I still hit the ball well but I missed a few putts and somehow wound up shooting over par. At least I finished good."

FedExCup points leader Vijay Singh of Fiji birdied the last for a 69 to share third spot at 14 under with Spaniard Sergio Garcia (68).

South African Ernie Els (69) was a further stroke back in a tie with Americans Jim Furyk (69) and Ben Crane (63).

The top 70 on the points list following this week's event qualify for the BMW Championship in St Louis starting on Thursday before the leading 30 players advance to the Tour Championship finale in Atlanta beginning on September 25.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)