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San Jose - John Mallinger remained in position for his first PGA Tour victory, shooting a 1-under 70 on Saturday in the Frys.com Open to take a two-stroke lead into the final round.
The 33-year-old Mallinger had a 15-under 198 total at CordeValle after opening with a 66 and matching the course record with a 62 on Friday.
"I hit every fairway yesterday, and then today I just got off to a weird start," Mallinger said. "But I hung around there and made some birdies on the back nine that got me back into position. Still got lead, still got a good spot, and look forward to tomorrow."
He has finished second twice in his seven-year career on the tour, losing in a playoff to Bo Van Pelt in Milwaukee in 2009.
"I'm going to still stay aggressive and try to make as many birdies as possible," Mallinger said. "It's going to be a birdie day. I mean, it's supposed to be nice tomorrow."
Sweden's Jonas Blixt was second after a 66. He birdied five of the last eight holes.
"The front nine is a little harder," said Blixt, coming off a third-place finish last week in Las Vegas. "The back nine you can make a couple birdies. Hopefully, I can finish like I did today.
He had a simple game plan for Sunday.
"Make birdies," Blixt said.
Charles Howell III and Jason Kokrak were 12 under. Howell had a 66, and Kokrak shot 67.
"It'll be a shootout tomorrow," Howell said. "The greens are so soft and there will be a lot of birdies, but at least I have a chance."
He won the last of two tour titles in 2007.
Vijay Singh and Brazil's Alexandre Rocha were 11 under. They shot 66.
The 49-year-old Singh won the last of his 34 PGA Tour titles in 2008. He birdied Nos. 15 and 16, eagled the short par-4 17th and closed with a par.
"I found something in my putting that's working really, really good, so hopefully tomorrow I can get some going," Singh said. "I've changed my grip a little bit and it's flowing really freely. So that's a big plus."
Scores from the US PGA Tour Frys.com Open at the par-71 course on Saturday in San Martin, California:
198 John Mallinger (U.S.) 66 62 70 200 Jonas Blixt (Sweden) 66 68 66 201 Charles Howell III (U.S.) 66 69 66
Jason Kokrak (U.S.) 68 66 67 202 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 70 66 66
Alexandre Rocha (Brazil) 69 67 66 203 Russell Knox (Britain) 70 68 65
Danny Lee (New Zealand) 69 67 67
Greg Owen (Britain) 66 69 68
Scott Dunlap (U.S.) 70 63 70
Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) 65 67 71 204 Gary Woodland (U.S.) 66 72 66
Bryce Molder (U.S.) 71 67 66
Jerry Kelly (U.S.) 69 68 67
John Rollins (U.S.) 71 69 64
D.A. Points (U.S.) 68 67 69
Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 65 68 71
Nick O'Hern (Australia) 62 71 71 205 Jeff Maggert (U.S.) 67 71 67
David Mathis (U.S.) 68 70 67
Tim Petrovic (U.S.) 70 68 67
Patrick Cantlay (U.S.) 67 70 68
Jeff Overton (U.S.) 68 69 68
Zack Miller (U.S.) 70 69 66
Bill Lunde (U.S.) 69 67 69
Ben Curtis (U.S.) 69 71 65
Billy Horschel (U.S.) 67 65 73 206 Martin Flores (U.S.) 71 67 68
Chez Reavie (U.S.) 73 65 68
Nathan Green (Australia) 72 66 68
Steven Bowditch (Australia) 71 64 71
Matt Jones (Australia) 70 66 70 207 Richard Lee (U.S.) 71 67 69
Rocco Mediate (U.S.) 67 71 69
Rod Pampling (Australia) 70 68 69
Will Claxton (U.S.) 67 69 71
Garth Mulroy (South Africa) 73 67 67
Brian Gay (U.S.) 69 71 67
Frank Lickliter II (U.S.) 71 64 72 208 Mathew Goggin (Australia) 69 70 69
D.J. Trahan (U.S.) 73 66 69
Ernie Els (South Africa) 71 68 69
Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 70 66 72
Davis Love III (U.S.) 69 67 72
John Merrick (U.S.) 72 68 68
Tim Herron (U.S.) 70 65 73
Jimmy Walker (U.S.) 73 68 67 209 Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 71 68 70
Derek Ernst (U.S.) 65 72 72
J.J. Killeen (U.S.) 67 72 70
Heath Slocum (U.S.) 70 70 69
Mark Anderson (U.S.) 71 70 68 210 Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 70 68 72
Patrick Reed (U.S.) 73 67 70
Scott Brown (U.S.) 73 68 69
Brian Davis (Britain) 72 69 69
Kelly Kraft (U.S.) 72 69 69 211 Stephen Gangluff (U.S.) 70 67 74
Charlie Beljan (U.S.) 69 67 75
Bud Cauley (U.S.) 68 72 71
Vaughn Taylor (U.S.) 67 74 70 212 Miguel Carballo (Argentina) 73 65 74
Chris Riley (U.S.) 70 69 73
Stephen Ames (Canada) 71 68 73
Todd Hamilton (U.S.) 73 67 72
Erik Compton (U.S.) 69 71 72 213 Kevin Streelman (U.S.) 72 69 72
Cameron Beckman (U.S.) 71 70 72
Billy Mayfair (U.S.) 72 69 72 215 Garrett Willis (U.S.) 67 70 78 217 Ryuji Imada (Japan) 70 70 77 220 J.B. Holmes (U.S.) 71 70 79
The 33-year-old Mallinger had a 15-under 198 total at CordeValle after opening with a 66 and matching the course record with a 62 on Friday.
"I hit every fairway yesterday, and then today I just got off to a weird start," Mallinger said. "But I hung around there and made some birdies on the back nine that got me back into position. Still got lead, still got a good spot, and look forward to tomorrow."
He has finished second twice in his seven-year career on the tour, losing in a playoff to Bo Van Pelt in Milwaukee in 2009.
"I'm going to still stay aggressive and try to make as many birdies as possible," Mallinger said. "It's going to be a birdie day. I mean, it's supposed to be nice tomorrow."
Sweden's Jonas Blixt was second after a 66. He birdied five of the last eight holes.
"The front nine is a little harder," said Blixt, coming off a third-place finish last week in Las Vegas. "The back nine you can make a couple birdies. Hopefully, I can finish like I did today.
He had a simple game plan for Sunday.
"Make birdies," Blixt said.
Charles Howell III and Jason Kokrak were 12 under. Howell had a 66, and Kokrak shot 67.
"It'll be a shootout tomorrow," Howell said. "The greens are so soft and there will be a lot of birdies, but at least I have a chance."
He won the last of two tour titles in 2007.
Vijay Singh and Brazil's Alexandre Rocha were 11 under. They shot 66.
The 49-year-old Singh won the last of his 34 PGA Tour titles in 2008. He birdied Nos. 15 and 16, eagled the short par-4 17th and closed with a par.
"I found something in my putting that's working really, really good, so hopefully tomorrow I can get some going," Singh said. "I've changed my grip a little bit and it's flowing really freely. So that's a big plus."
Scores from the US PGA Tour Frys.com Open at the par-71 course on Saturday in San Martin, California:
198 John Mallinger (U.S.) 66 62 70 200 Jonas Blixt (Sweden) 66 68 66 201 Charles Howell III (U.S.) 66 69 66
Jason Kokrak (U.S.) 68 66 67 202 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 70 66 66
Alexandre Rocha (Brazil) 69 67 66 203 Russell Knox (Britain) 70 68 65
Danny Lee (New Zealand) 69 67 67
Greg Owen (Britain) 66 69 68
Scott Dunlap (U.S.) 70 63 70
Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) 65 67 71 204 Gary Woodland (U.S.) 66 72 66
Bryce Molder (U.S.) 71 67 66
Jerry Kelly (U.S.) 69 68 67
John Rollins (U.S.) 71 69 64
D.A. Points (U.S.) 68 67 69
Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 65 68 71
Nick O'Hern (Australia) 62 71 71 205 Jeff Maggert (U.S.) 67 71 67
David Mathis (U.S.) 68 70 67
Tim Petrovic (U.S.) 70 68 67
Patrick Cantlay (U.S.) 67 70 68
Jeff Overton (U.S.) 68 69 68
Zack Miller (U.S.) 70 69 66
Bill Lunde (U.S.) 69 67 69
Ben Curtis (U.S.) 69 71 65
Billy Horschel (U.S.) 67 65 73 206 Martin Flores (U.S.) 71 67 68
Chez Reavie (U.S.) 73 65 68
Nathan Green (Australia) 72 66 68
Steven Bowditch (Australia) 71 64 71
Matt Jones (Australia) 70 66 70 207 Richard Lee (U.S.) 71 67 69
Rocco Mediate (U.S.) 67 71 69
Rod Pampling (Australia) 70 68 69
Will Claxton (U.S.) 67 69 71
Garth Mulroy (South Africa) 73 67 67
Brian Gay (U.S.) 69 71 67
Frank Lickliter II (U.S.) 71 64 72 208 Mathew Goggin (Australia) 69 70 69
D.J. Trahan (U.S.) 73 66 69
Ernie Els (South Africa) 71 68 69
Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 70 66 72
Davis Love III (U.S.) 69 67 72
John Merrick (U.S.) 72 68 68
Tim Herron (U.S.) 70 65 73
Jimmy Walker (U.S.) 73 68 67 209 Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 71 68 70
Derek Ernst (U.S.) 65 72 72
J.J. Killeen (U.S.) 67 72 70
Heath Slocum (U.S.) 70 70 69
Mark Anderson (U.S.) 71 70 68 210 Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 70 68 72
Patrick Reed (U.S.) 73 67 70
Scott Brown (U.S.) 73 68 69
Brian Davis (Britain) 72 69 69
Kelly Kraft (U.S.) 72 69 69 211 Stephen Gangluff (U.S.) 70 67 74
Charlie Beljan (U.S.) 69 67 75
Bud Cauley (U.S.) 68 72 71
Vaughn Taylor (U.S.) 67 74 70 212 Miguel Carballo (Argentina) 73 65 74
Chris Riley (U.S.) 70 69 73
Stephen Ames (Canada) 71 68 73
Todd Hamilton (U.S.) 73 67 72
Erik Compton (U.S.) 69 71 72 213 Kevin Streelman (U.S.) 72 69 72
Cameron Beckman (U.S.) 71 70 72
Billy Mayfair (U.S.) 72 69 72 215 Garrett Willis (U.S.) 67 70 78 217 Ryuji Imada (Japan) 70 70 77 220 J.B. Holmes (U.S.) 71 70 79
