HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Troy Merritt felt the fear Saturday he experienced during his successful amateur career. The third-round leader at the RBC Heritage expects another healthy dose Sunday.

Merritt shot a 2-under 69 to take a three-stroke lead over defending champion Matt Kuchar, Brendon Todd and Kevin Kisner. Jim Furyk, No. 10 in the world, was four shots behind, with Masters champ Jordan Spieth another stroke back and eager to win another jacket – this one tartan.

“I was starting to feel the fear and being afraid, like I would when I was an amateur,” Merritt said. “It’s not a bad fear; it’s the fear of being caught. And I think it’s worked for me in the past. “

Merritt finished at 14-under 199, two off the 54-hole scoring record set by Justin Leonard in his 2002 victory.

Todd made the big move with a 63, the day’s lowest round. Kisner shot 67, and Kuchar 68.

Furyk led a group another stroke behind after a 68, with Spieth five shots back, also following a 68.

Brice Garnett and Branden Grace were tied with Furyk in fifth. Garnett shot 65, and Grace 66. Bo Van Pelt was 9 under along with Spieth after a 67.

The pack of seven players at 8 under included 2013 winner Graeme McDowell, past British Open champ Louis Oosthuizen and former world No. 1 Luke Donald.

All of them will have to chase down Merritt, the 54-hole leader for the first time in his career. His best finish on the PGA Tour is a second in Memphis last year.

Merritt moved to the top and built a four-shot lead Friday with his course-record tying 61 at Harbour Town Golf Links. He lost nearly all of that on the front nine Saturday before regrouping.

Merritt explained how that fear calms him and reminds him not to press and take chances to keep the edge. “You go out there, play solid golf, take care of your business and you see how the other guy is doing,” he said.

That worked in the third round after Merritt put a ball in the water on the par-4 eighth hole – “It was a spectacular splash,” he said – leading to a double bogey and reducing his lead to a stroke.

That’s when Merritt regrouped and responded, making a birdie on the ninth to regain his rhythm.

“I was going to try and get the momentum back,” he said. “And I was able to do that.”

Spieth thrilled the gallery with his bounce-back 62 on Friday and it was a full house around the first tee when the 21-year-old Texan got started. But Spieth played more like he did in Thursday’s opening 74 than in the second round, fighting to put shots close and make putts on the way to his 68.

Still, it was Spieth’s 18th time breaking par in his past 19 rounds, a monthlong run of success that included the Valspar Championship title, seconds at Texas and Houston and that record-tying Masters win from last week where he matched Tiger Woods’ mark of 18-under from 1997.

And the fans continued to celebrate that accomplishment, shouting and applauding Spieth wherever he walked. One more round and Spieth can get some rest: He’s not playing the Zurich Open next week.

Spieth isn’t counting out his chances of another round like Friday’s. “There’s a low one out there and I think it’s certainly possible” to win, he said.

Only Bernhard Langer in 1985 followed a Masters win with success at the RBC Heritage.

Kuchar overcame a double-bogey 5 after hitting a tree on the seventh hole to keep within reach of playing partner Merritt.

“There’s a tree that hangs out over the green protecting that, and it was a Dikembe Mutombo swat away from the basket,” Kuchar said. “That was tough.”

Kuchar proved tougher, bouncing back with birdies on the next two holes.

Canada’s Nick Taylor carded a 77 Saturday to drop 27 spots down the leaderboard into a tie for 75th.

SHENZHEN, China – Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat shot a 4-under 68 to take the lead after the third round at the inaugural Shenzhen International on Saturday, though he let a five-shot advantage slip to two strokes with a double bogey-bogey on this final two holes.

Kiradech had nine birdies in his round to sit at 12-under 204 overall.

“Good way to start, three straight birdies to jump up at the top. I was still hitting the ball great on the back. Then I made a big mistake on last two holes, not the way to finish,” Kiradech said. “After I play 14 holes and I’m still striking the ball good, I think the job would be done. I think everything will be set.”

Overnight leader Peter Uihlein birdied the par-5 17th hole that Kiradech double-bogeyed to gain three strokes on his playing partner. The American was at 10 under.

“(Kiradech) was playing fantastic all week. Today he was pretty flawless until 17, 18,” Uihlein said. “I still got a chance tomorrow so that’s always nice. If you tell me at the start of the week, I’d be two back, I’d take it and look forward to the challenge tomorrow.”

Both Kiradech and Uihlein are looking for their second European Tour titles. Both won their first titles two years ago – Kiradech at the Malaysian Open, Uihlein at the Madeira Islands Open.

Pablo Larrazabal of Spain matched the low round of the day with a 7-under 65 to move into third place, one stroke behind Uihlein. He had eight birdies and a bogey on No. 17.

“The game was brilliant today,” he said. “I’m hitting the middle irons and the short irons very well and I can put the ball close to the hole.”

Emiliano Grillo (70), Matt Ford (70), Tommy Fleetwood (69) and Scott Hend (68) were in a tie for fourth at 8 under.

Nineteen-year-old Li Haotong, one of China’s most promising players, also shot a 65 to improve to joint-eighth place. He had seven birdies in a clean round.

Bubba Watson struggled for a third straight day at Genzon Golf Club, shooting a 74. He’s in a tie for 58th place at 2 over.

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Sei Young Kim shot a 2-under 70 on Friday in wind gusting to 30 mph to take a one-stroke lead in the Lotte Championship.

With the breeze making birdies elusive at Ko Olina, the 22-year-old South Korean player reached 12-under 204 to break out of a first-place tie with I.K. Kim.

Sei Young Kim will take a lead into the final round for the second straight tournament. Two weeks ago, she had a four-shot advantage in the ANA Inspiration and finished fourth in the major championship.

Sei Young Kim won in the Bahamas in February in her second start as an LPGA Tour member.

I.K. Kim was second after a 71. Third-ranked Inbee Park was another shot back after a 69.

The top five are all from South Korea, with Jenny Shin four shots back after a 70, and Chella Choi at 7 under after 71.

American Paula Creamer (72) and Japan’s Ai Miyazato (71) were 6 under. Defending champion Michelle Wie (73) had five bogeys and four birdies to fall eight shots back in her home event.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim is the top Canadian. The Langley, B.C., native is tied for 47th at 3-over.

Toronto, Ontario’s Albin Choi carded a 25-under total to earn medalist honours and exempt status on PGA TOUR Canada for 2015 at the Florida Qualifying Tournament.

The 22-year old carded a final round 7-under 65 to win by three shots over Uniontown, Ohio’s Ross Beal and Naples, Florida’s Edward Figueroa. 48 players in total earned status through the qualifying tournament, with eight players left to play off for four spots in the top 18 on Saturday morning. Players finishing 2-18 earn exempt status through the first six events of the 2015 schedule and are subject to the mid-season re-shuffle.

“There were still plenty of guys within reach and there are plenty of birdie opportunities out here, so I had to keep doing what I was doing and stay on the tips of my toes. I stayed patient throughout all these four rounds and it really paid off,” said Choi, a former Canadian Amateur Champion and a current member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro team.

The former NC State standout played on the Web.com Tour last season after finishing 53rd on PGA TOUR Canada’s Order of Merit as a non-member in 2013, but failed to retain status for this year. Thanks to his performance this week, Choi will be able to plan out his schedule and compete to earn status on the Web.com Tour next season.

“It’s always tough any time you lose your card. There definitely was a bit of a learning curve,” said Choi of his learning experience last year on the Web.com Tour, where he made 10 cuts in 19 starts. “I put some things I’ve learned into play this week. I think patience was the key. Maybe that was something I didn’t have before, and something I’ve gotten better at over the last couple of years. It really showed this week and I’m glad everything turned out the way it did.”

In total, four Canadians earned status for 2015: Albin Choi (1), Jean-Philip Cornellier (T27), Max Gilbert (T35) and Brett Cairns (T39).

DULUTH, Ga. – Ian Woosnam was tied for the lead at 4 under with five holes left Friday when first-round play in the Champions Tour’s Greater Gwinnett Championship was suspended because of rain.

The round was scheduled to be completed Saturday morning at TPC Sugarloaf, followed by the second round. There is more rain in the forecast Saturday and Sunday.

Woosnam, playing in the event for the first time, was tied with Tommy Armour III, Joey Sindelar, Gary Hallberg and Olin Browne. Armour and Hallberg had four holes left, Sindelar three and Browne six.

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez was even par through 11 holes.

Jimenez had a streak of 40 consecutive holes without a bogey at TPC Sugarloaf – including his final 32 holes in last year’s win – end on his ninth hole. Jimenez, trying to reach the green with his second shot on the par-5 18th, instead found water, leading to his bogey.

Bernhard Langer, second last year after winning the inaugural tournament in 2013, was 1 under through 12.

Only one group completed the first round, with Tom Byrum the clubhouse leader at 3-under 69.

Water was standing on the greens when play was halted. When play was stopped, the plan was to clear the greens and then continue the round. Continued rain changed the plan.

“The fairways were just unplayable and water was standing on the greens, so it’s just so wet,” Hallberg said, adding he wasn’t prepared for the conditions.

“I’ve got this old golf bag that I’ve been using and the water just soaks right into it, so it’s not a good rain bag,” Hallberg said. “And I’m not dressed for it. I don’t have rain pants, I left everything at home.”

Hallberg said he assumed “Going to Atlanta, it’s going to be nice. That was a mistake.”

Those with a long history on the course, the former home of The PGA Tour’s BellSouth Classic, know rain is a common factor.

“It’s incredible, isn’t it?” Woosnam asked. “I’ve been here so many times and it’s rained nearly every time. One year it snowed. … Quite incredible, unfortunate this place has been with the weather.”

The 57-year-old Woosnam, the 1991 Masters winner, tied for 53rd and 60th in his first two events on the 50-and-over tour this year.

“I’m just trying to sort of like build myself into it,” Woosnam said of his early status as a contender this week. “We’re still working on my swing a little bit. One minute I get it and next I lose it a little bit.”

Woosnam and Hallberg are playing on sponsor exemptions.

Hallberg’s only Champions Tour win came in the 2010 Ensure Classic. He had two top-10 finishes last year.

“This is really my first tournament I feel 100 percent,” Hallberg said. “I feel good.”

Woosnam was bracing for an unusually early start of play on Saturday – and an early bedtime on Friday night.

“I’ll tell you what, I’ve never been to bed so early in America,” Woosnam said.

“Eat at 6 and you’re in bed at 8,” he said before adding with a laugh “You know, we just usually start the party up at 8.”

Stephen Ames led the Canadian contingent, sitting T6 at 3-under through 14 holes. Rod Spittle is 1-over through 14 while Jim Rutledge shot 4-over through a dozen holes.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Little-known Troy Merritt one-upped the Masters champion Jordan Spieth at the RBC Heritage.

Merritt shot a 10-under 61 on Friday to tie the course record at Harbour Town Golf Links only a few hours after Spieth wowed the gallery with a bounce-back 62 to match his lowest PGA Tour round.

Merritt tied David Frost’s tournament mark set in 1994 and topped the leaderboard at 12-under 130, a stroke off the 36-hole event record shared by Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson.

Merritt, who opened with a 69 on Thursday, saw Spieth’s score in the morning and knew the opportunity was there to go low.

“Anytime that you match shot for shot with the Masters champ, with the way he’s playing, it’s a pretty good feeling,” said Merritt, whose career best in four seasons on the PGA Tour is a tie for second last year at the St. Jude Classic.

Spieth looked like the headliner Friday, following a 74 on Thursday with the 62 – which tied his career low set at the Deutsche Bank Championship in 2013.

The 21-year-old Texan has been on a major role the past month, winning the Valspar Championship and finishing second in San Antonio and Houston before capturing his first major title at Augusta National last week.

Spieth birdied his final two holes at Harbour Town, electrifying the crowds already there to cheer him, to shoot the lowest tournament round in 10 years – until Merritt did him one better.

Merritt had nine birdies over his final 10 holes to surge on top and send Spieth six shots behind on a day of low, low scoring. Merritt e

PHOENIX – Just a few days after turning professional, Corey Conners capped a memorable week at the Masters by signing an agreement to play PING equipment, PING Chairman & CEO John A. Solheim announced. He’s making his professional debut at the RBC Heritage, playing on a sponsor’s exemption from RBC.

Conners is a 2014 graduate of Kent State University, where he won three times as a senior. He was recently #1 in the Golfweek World Amateur Rankings, and last year was runner-up in the U.S. Amateur, which earned him an invitation to this year’s Masters.

The 23-year-old Canadian from Listowel, Ont., was a four-year member of the Golf Canada National Amateur Team and champion of the 2014 Jones Cup. He now transitions from the amateur team to Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad.

“Corey’s recent performances have received attention, but in fact he captured our interest years ago and it has been fun to watch his steady climb in an amateur career built on consistency, which will serve him well,” Solheim said. “He is an accomplished player with a number of prestigious titles. We’re delighted to have Corey as part of our team and we’ll be watching the RBC Heritage with extra interest as he begins his pro career playing alongside the game’s best.”

As part of the multi-year agreement, Conners will wear a PING hat, carry a PING staff bag and play a minimum of 11 PING clubs. Financial terms and the length of the agreement were not disclosed.

SHENZHEN, China – Peter Uihlein made five birdies in gusty conditions and shot a 4-under 68 Friday to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Shenzhen International.

The American started his round on the 10th hole and was 1 under on the back nine, where the strong wind made play more difficult. He then added three birdies on the front nine to finish at 9-under 135 total.

“It was tricky today. The wind was swirling quite a bit,” said Uihlein, whose only previous win on the European Tour came at the 2013 Madeira Islands Open. “I got the back nine out of the way pretty quickly. I played very solid. I felt like getting anything under par on the back nine was nice, and I played a pretty stress free front nine, which is always good.”

Kiradech Aphibarnrat matched Uihlein’s five birdies, but added two bogeys to shoot a 69 and finish one shot behind.

“Again, the wind was getting up on a few holes before I finished, but the way I was striking the ball is still very good,” the Thai player said.

Emiliano Grillo matched the low round of the day with a 5-under 67 to move into a tie for third with Gregory Havret, Darren Fichardt and Matt Ford. They were three shots behind Uihlein at 6-under 138.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson shot a 2-over 74 to slip into a tie for 42nd. He made the cut, but was unimpressed by his form.

“It’s tough,” Watson said. “I haven’t played very well. I haven’t putted very well. But it’s a beautiful golf course.”

Watson was at 144 overall, nine shots behind Uihlein.

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Sei Young Kim rode the wind and some major inspiration into a share of the lead Thursday in the second round of the Lotte Championship.

Kim shot her second straight 5-under 67 at breezy Ko Olina to catch first-round leader I.K. Kim at 10 under.

Sei Young Kim, the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic winner in February in her second start as an LPGA Tour member, began the round two strokes back. She bogeyed the opening hole, then rallied with four birdies before the turn and added three straight on her second nine.

Part of the 22-year-old’s motivation this week is what happened two weeks ago at the first major of the year, the ANA Inspiration in California. Kim took a three-shot advantage into the final round, but shot a 75 on Sunday and finished fourth.

“My win will certainly help me,” she said, referring to her victory in the Bahamas, “but I think what will motivate me better was the fact that I didn’t win. That’s really motivating me this week and that is going to get me to play better.”

Inbee Park, who ended the last two years ranked No. 1 in the world, was three strokes back after a 70.

Six of the top seven players are from South Korea. The exception is Paula Creamer. The American has won twice in Hawaii, including the 2008 Fields Open at Ko Olina.

“I love playing on these types of golf courses,” Creamer said. “Just the wind, the conditions. Your misses are exaggerated so much when you play in this kind of weather. Being a good ball-striker is incredibly important and that’s something that I’ve always felt was one of my strengths. For me, I like this. The windier it gets the better.”

A bogey on the final hole gave Creamer a 69 and a share of fourth at 6 under with Chella Choi (68) and Jenny Shin (70).

I.K. Kim is going after her fourth LPGA Tour title, but first since 2010. She had just a pair of top-10 finishes last year, but a week off after the ANA Inspiration, and the warm wind and familiar food of Hawaii, have helped her this week – along with an improved putting stroke.

“After ANA, I spent a lot of time on the putting green,” I.K. Kim said. “I felt like I was hitting the ball really well, having a lot of opportunities, but putting was letting me down a little bit.

“I also went to Las Vegas, so putting and a little bit of fun and then here … I think that was kind of a good balance.”

Defending champion Michelle Wie was tied for eighth at 5 under with Japan’s Ai Miyazato and Haru Nomura. Wie, playing at home, shot a 69 that included an eagle from 117 yards out on the par-4 15th hole, followed by what she called a “nerdy” dance.

“I kind of saw it roll over the hill and I was like, `Oh, OK, it’s disappearing,'” Wie recalled. “Then everyone went crazy. It was pretty fun.”

Canada’s Sue Kim is tied for 39th at 1-over, while Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Alena Sharp have a share of 58th at 3-over heading into the weekend.