Appleby leads Las Vegas Invitational

LAS VEGAS -- Stuart Appleby is back on top in the Las Vegas Invitational. A soft bounce on 17 and his driver got him there.

Appleby, chasing his first tour win since 1999, shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead heading into today's final round of the 90-hole tournament. He is at 28-under 259, one shot ahead of Scott Flesch.

Appleby made nine birdies -- three of them in a row on the back nine -- to offset three bogeys. But it was his par at the 196-yard, par-3 17th that kept him atop the leaderboard.

He hit his tee shot left of the green. The ball bounced down the slope but stayed short of the water by a couple of yards. Faced with an awkward stance and a tough shot, Appleby hit a lob wedge to within 3 feet and made the putt.

"I pulled it left and it popped down the slope," Appleby said. "I got away with it."

Scores in the low 60s were common through the first three rounds. Things got back to normal in the fourth round with tougher pin placements at the TPC at Summerlin course.

That didn't slow down Appleby, who consistently hit big drives that found the middle of the fairway and left him with short irons to the green.

Flesch, who started the day in a tie for the lead with Scott Verplank, shot a 68 Saturday. Scott McCarron has contended often in the tournament but never won it. He's three shots back after a 67. Robert Allenby (66) is fourth, four shots behind Appleby.

LPGA Tour

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Rachel Teske had five birdies on the back nine -- including four on the last five holes -- and finished with a 6-under 66 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead after three rounds of the LPGA Samsung World Championship.

Se Ri Pak, the leader after two rounds, was one back along with Beth Daniel. Annika Sorenstam, who shot a third-round 68, was two strokes off the pace heading into today's final round at the Tournament Players Course at The Woodlands, just north of Houston.

-- From wire reports