Goosen sets pace in Wachovia Championship

Retief Goosen blitzed Quail Hollow’s back nine in just 30 shots to set the clubhouse target in the third round of the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte today.

World number three Goosen birdied seven out of eight holes after turning in 35, but on the difficult last drove into the creek and did well in the end to make a bogey five.

It gave the South African a 65 and 10 under par total of 206.

With three to play Jim Furyk, beaten in a play-off by Vijay Singh a year ago, was joint leader, while fellow American Bo Van Pelt, three clear after his second round course record-equalling 64, was tied for third a stroke behind with Trevor Immelman and Shaun Micheel.

Earlier, Australian Adam Scott had caught Van Pelt with a staggering run around the turn. After an eagle on the seventh Scott birdied the next three, then holed his wedge to the 11th for an eagle two.

But Scott then bogeyed the 14th and 18th and had to settle for a 66 and seven under aggregate.

He out-scored playing partner Sergio Garcia by seven. Garcia, who lost a six-stroke lead in the event on the final day last year, also eagled the seventh and birdied the next, but then came five bogeys in six holes to send him tumbling off the leaderboard.

England’s Justin Rose was four under and sharing 17th place after a 68, but Luke Donald withdrew complaining of a bad back before completing his second round at the start of the day.

Donald had been just inside the halfway cut line at two over with four to go when he decided not to go on.

Mansfield’s Greg Owen, meanwhile, bogeyed the last hole of his second round to miss the cut by one.

Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell had already failed to make it through on Friday.