Verplank and stumbling Ames share Disney lead

MIAMI (Reuters) - Overnight pacesetter Scott Verplank shrugged off a faltering start to hold a share of the lead in the Disney Classic third round at Lake Buena Vista on Saturday.

The American fired a one-under-par 71 for a 13-under total of 203, finishing level with Canada's Stephen Ames (70) in the final event of the 2007 PGA Tour season.

Five-times Tour winner Verplank dropped his first two shots of the week on the fifth and sixth holes before making a late surge with birdies at the 12th and 15th.

Ames, bidding for his third Tour title, broke two clear of a congested leaderboard with three birdies in five holes before losing momentum with three-putt bogeys on 16 and at the last.

"Nobody really did anything up at the top," Verplank, 43, told reporters after a blustery day on the rain-sodden Magnolia course.

"This golf course is still playing really long, making it much harder to hit it close which you occasionally need to do to make a bunch of birdies.

"The good news is I'm tied for the lead but there's got to be 30 guys who have a chance to win."

At one point, five players held a share of the lead as the scoring fluctuated wildly at the Walt Disney World Resort.

BUNCHED LEADERBOARD