• Wells Fargo Championship, Round Three

Byrd edges ahead as Mickelson slips back

Jonathan Byrd splashes out of a bunker © PA Photos

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• Profile: Jonathan Byrd | Sergio Garcia | Phil Mickelson

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Jonathan Byrd moved into the lead of the Wells Fargo Championship, on a day when Phil Mickleson's challenge met a watery end.

Byrd produced some rock solid golf on the back nine to move into a one-shot lead from Pat Perez, while Mickelson coughed up a number of shots coming home due to some wild play off the tee.

There was a subdued atmosphere at Quail Hollow, with the players coming to terms with the death of Seve Ballesteros, but there was some excellent play on show.

The Carolina course is severe on those who stray off a true line and Byrd was given a warning with a bogey at the first. He ground things out over the next few holes but was pretty much faultless from that point and he caught fire on the back nine. His driving was solid, iron play assured and putting high class as he went on a run of five birdies to sign for a 67 to move to 15-under.

Mickelson was erratic off the tee, but simply sensational around the greens. He produced a string of pitches and chips that wowed the crowds, with the best of the lot coming at 12. He went through the back, which left him short-sided and faced with a swinging downhill break. It looked impossible to get the ball within five feet, but Mickelson put it within five inches as he flopped the ball up in the air and landed it on the fringe to take the pace off before the ball ambled down to the side of the cup.

But as good as he is from around the greens, the driver continues to be a problem and he found water on 15 which cost him a bogey. It got worse on 17 as his tee shot at the par three found water and he missed a short putt for bogey and it resulted in him slipping back to seven-under.

Stewart Cink looks like being a major rival to Byrd on Sunday as he showed superb touch on the greens to surge into contention. Cink made just the solitary bogey, at the first, and made a rare birdie on the tough 17th to move up to 12-under - level with Lucas Glover.

Mickelson's touch around the green was solid © PA Photos

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Andres Romero started and ended his round with a bogey, but in between he produced some stunning golf to card a fabulous five-under 67 - which included an eagle at 15 - to move to 11-under - which is one shot ahead of Britain's Brian Davis who posted an assured round of 69.

The star turn in the third round at Quail Hollow was the big-hitting JB Holmes. It all clicked as he made five birdies, but he was certainly helped on his way to a seven-under 65 with a stunning albatross on the par five 15th. The American fired a five-iron from 213 yards and it dropped in for the first albatross of his career.

Kevin Na appears to have shrugged off the demons of his infamous 16-shot hole in Texas last month, as he showed real quality to move to 11-under and he will be among the late starters on Sunday.

Sergio Garcia endured a tough day emotionally and it seeped through into his game late in his round. The Spaniard held Ballesteros in the highest esteem and after an early bogey he made solid progress with a run of three birdies. However, things went awry with a double-bogey on 14 and a further double on 18.

Garcia found the water on 18 and attempted a shot Ballesteros himself would have been proud of by playing out of the hazard. He ended up with a face full of mud but with applause ringing in his ears as he got the ball onto the green. But putting has been his Achilles heel for so long and he three-putted to slip back to four-under.

Padraig Harrington is scratching around for form, but produced some solid play on Saturday - a 69 taking him up to six-under for the tournament.

Justin Rose is well off the pace, but his best round of the week - a 69 - took him to three-under after 54 holes.

Bubba Watson will not be following up his win at the Zurich Classic last week with another victory, as a bogey-filled front nine saw him card a 73 - leaving him at three-under.

World No. 2 Martin Kaymer made four bogeys on the back nine to drop to two-under, leaving him well off the pace.

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