By The Associated Press

PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - John Huston made six straight birdies and flirted with golf's magic number Saturday before finishing with an 11-under 61, giving him a share of the lead with Tim Herron in the Buick Challenge.

Huston had every reason to believe he could shoot 59 on the rain-softened Mountain View course at Callaway Gardens. He failed to birdie two par 5s with putts inside 5 feet, and he missed another 6-foot birdie putt on the opening hole.

Even so, he wound up matching the lowest score of his career and joined Herron (65) in the lead, both setting the 54-hole record in the Buick Challenge at 20-under 196.

David Toms (63) and Craig Parry (66) were a stroke back, and Chris Smith (63) and Jonathan Byrd (65) were 18 under.

Players were allowed to clean and place their balls in the fairway because of wet conditions.

Senior Tour Championship

OKLAHOMA CITY - Tom Watson holed a 132-yard shot for eagle and needed only 23 putts to take a share of the third-round lead in the season-ending Senior Tour Championship.

Watson, the 2000 winner, finished with a 6-under 66 to match Gil Morgan (69) at 9-under 207. Watson eagled the par-4 seventh two days after carding a double-bogey 6 on the hole.

Second-round leader Hale Irwin was at 210 after a 73. Irwin needs to finish fourth or better to become the first senior Player to win $3 million in one season.

Fuzzy Zoeller shot a 69 and is tied with Irwin. Bob Gilder, who began the day one stroke off the lead, shot a 73 and stood at 211 along with Larry Nelson (72), Morris Hatalsky (67) and Allen Doyle (70).

Nine Bridges Classic

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea - Se Ri Pak missed a chance to run away with the Nine Bridges Classic, shooting a 4-over 76 in windy conditions to take a three-stroke lead into the final round.

The South Korean star, coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Tournament of Champions, was the only player under par after two rounds. She had a 3-under 141 total.

South Korea's Grace Park, a two-time winner in three full seasons on the LPGA Tour, was the only player to break par Saturday, shooting a 71 to jump from a tie for 22nd to second.

Mi Hyun Kim, another South Korean player who has won twice this year, shot a 75 to join Canada's Lorie Kane (75), Scotland's Mhairi McKay (75) and Jackie Gallagher-Smith (76) at 1 over.

Annika Sorenstam, seeking her 10th LPGA Tour title of the year and 12th worldwide title, was five strokes back at 2 over after her second straight 73.

Buy.com Tour Championship

PRATTVILLE, Ala. - Jeff Klauk was 2 under for 12 holes to take a two-stroke lead in the suspended third round of the season-ending Buy.com Tour Championship.

Klauk was 9 under overall when play was stopped because of rain and lightning. Arron Oberholser and Patrick Moore, the top two players on the money list who each have two victories this year, were tied for second, two strokes back. Oberholser, the money leader at $297,083, shot a 66, and Moore had four holes to play.

Sixteen players were unable to complete the round.

The top 15 players on the money list after the tournament will earn 2003 PGA Tour cards. Klauk is No. 42 on the money list and would jump into the top 15 if he wins the $108,000 first prize.

Madrid Open

MADRID, Spain - Ireland's Padraig Harrington shot a 5-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Australia's Adam Scott after the third round of the Madrid Open.

Harrington, trying to catch South Africa's Retief Goosen in the money race, had a 16-under 197 total. Scott also shot a 66.

Goosen, who entered the tournament about $50,000 ahead of Harrington, was five strokes back after a 67.