GOLF: Birdie binge helps Byrd into lead at Quail Hollow

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jonathan Byrd lived up to his surname Saturday in the Wells Fargo Championship.

In the mix with a half-dozen other players trying to keep in range of Pat Perez, Byrd ran off five birdies in six holes to start the back nine and finished with a 5-under 67 to take a one-shot lead.

He was at 15-under 201 and will try to win for the third time in the last seven months on the PGA Tour.

Perez had a hard-fought 70. Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover (69) and former British Open champion Stewart Cink (68), who have not won since capturing their majors in the summer of 2009, were three shots back.

Regions Tradition

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Mark Calcavecchia gave away nearly all of his big lead in the Regions Tradition, setting up a tight final round at Shoal Creek.

Calcavecchia shot a 1-under 71 after a sparkling start, faltering with a double bogey and two bogeys on the final eight holes. He finished at 12-under 204 for a one-stroke lead over Jay Haas (68).

Tom Pernice Jr. three-putted the final hole from about three feet for double bogey to drop two shots back, along with Tom Lehman in the Champions Tour's first major of the season. Both shot 68s.

Calcavecchia had sailed to a six-shot lead and deftly managed to bail himself out of trouble a number of times, managing a 32 on the first nine holes despite only hitting two fairways.

Seeking his first Champions Tour win in attempt No. 21, the 1989 British Open winner had run his bogey-free streak to 46 holes, was 16 under and threatening a runaway. Then came the double bogey on No. 12. He buried the drive in pine straw and then hit a branch trying to get it out of the woods.

Spanish Open

TERRASSA, Spain - Thomas Aiken maintained his lead after a somber third day of the Spanish Open, overshadowed by the death of Spanish great Seve Ballesteros.

The South African shot an even-par 72 to reach 8 under, two strokes ahead of Denmark's Andres Hansen (69), France's Romain Wattel (72), Scotland's Scott Jamieson (72) and Spain's Pablo Larrazabal (73).