Tom Pernice, Jr. shot a seven-under 65 on Saturday and will take a two-stroke lead entering Sunday's final round of the 3M Championship. The 53-year-old Pernice, who comes from finishing T-8th at the Senior British Open, is seeking his second Champions Tour win; his lone win in the Champions Tour came in the 2009 SAS Championship.
Pernice's score after 36-holes sits at 13-under. He started the day in fourth place and he will be in the battle of the 'Toms' in the final pairing tomorrow. The other 'Tom' is 1992 U.S. Open winner Tom Kite who also fired a 65 to climb into solo second place at 11-under. Kite started the day T-11th and now moved nine spots to solo second.
The 63-year-old Kite is looking to become the oldest winner in Champions Tour history. He has 10 wins on the Champions Tour including a major, the 2000 Countrywide Tradition. His last win came in 2008 Boeing Classic.
American Jay Don Blake and Canada's Rod Spittle both scored six-under 66—one less than the two leaders—to move into a share of third place at 10-under with Corey Pavin who shot a three-under 69. Don Blake and Spittle were both tied with Kite at 11th place at the start of the day. Pavin dropped from second place into the T-3rd.
Mark Wiebe was the overnight leader after yesterday he took things where he left them when he won the Senior British Open on Monday in a playoff. He had an opening round of eight-under 64 but today he bogeyed two of his last three holes and dropped into a T-6th place after a second-round one-under 71. He sits at nine-under alongside Kirk Triplett (eight-under 64, Saturday's low round), John Riegger (three-under 69) and Bart Bryant (three-under 69).
Two-time major winner this year and Charles Schwab Cup points leader, Kenny Perry, started the day one shot off Wiebe's lead. While he made four birdies today, a double-bogey on the Par-3 fourth and the Par-4 16th left him like Wiebe, shooting a one-under 71 and is currently T-10th with Colin Montgomerie, Gene Sauers and Jeff Brehaut.
Pernice began Saturday's round two shots off the lead. He got hot early when he birdied four straight from the third, but couldn't close the gap, as then-leader Wiebe was off to a hot start himself, opening his round with birdies on four of his first six holes.
Pernice was playing a group ahead of Wiebe and got within one stroke as he made the turn, closing his outward score of 32 with three straight pars and Wiebe stumbled to a bogey at the Par-3 eighth.
After the turn, the lead promptly changed hands, as Pernice opened with a birdie at the 10th and Wiebe started to fade as he followed with a bogey at that hole to fall one shot back. Wiebe then bounced back with a birdie at the 11th, but Pernice answered with a birdie of his own at No. 12 to remain in front.
After both players bogeyed the 14th, Pernice rebounded with a birdie at the 15th to move two ahead of Wiebe and one ahead of Kite, who had just birdied the 18th to become clubhouse leader at 11-under.
Pernice then added a tap-in birdie at the Par-5 last 18th to reach 13-under.
Kite went bogey-free during his second round, which was highlighted by an eagle-2 at the Par-4 seventh. He added three birdies during an outward 31 and picked up two more shots on the back.
The final round starts at 10:15 a.m.CT from the first and 10th tees. Threesome groups will run through 12:15 p.m. CT. For a complete listing of Sunday's tee times, click here.