Mayakoba Golf Classic: Third-round notebook

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico -- Former high school competitors Mark Wilson and Bo Van Pelt will go into the final-round in a tie at 11-under 199. Kevin Na, who shared the lead with Wilson after the second round, is three strokes back at 8-under 202.

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Scott Piercy has shot in the 60s in 13 of his 18 rounds so far this year.

Inside the Numbers

54-Hole Leaderboard

Player Score T1. Mark Wilson 199 -11 T1. Bo Van Pelt 199 -11 3. Briny Baird 200 -10 4. J.J. Henry 201 -9 T5. Jarrod Lyle 202 -8 T5. Chris Riley 202 -8 T5. Kevin Na 202 -8 T8. Greg Owen 203 -7 T8. Scott Verplank 203 -7 T8. Heath Slocum 203 -7 T8. Cameron Beckman 203 -7

• Wilson's only previous third-round lead came at the 2007 Honda Classic, which he went on to win in a playoff over Jose Coceres, Camilo Villegas and Boo Weekley.

• First-round leader Van Pelt has held the third-round lead once in his 214 event TOUR career prior to Saturday. Van Pelt held the lead going into the final round of the 2008 Puerto Rico Open, but finished tied for second.

• Van Pelt matched his career-low after 54 holes with a 199. Van Pelt also tallied a 199 at the 2005 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee and the 2009 Bob Hope Classic.

• Briny Baird is one stroke off the lead at 10-under 200. Baird is looking for his first career TOUR win in his 280th event. A dozen active players are winless in more than 300 starts, led by Jay Delsing at 555 starts.

• PGA TOUR rookie Gary Woodland and Scott Piercy, a veteran of 25 TOUR events, are proving that statistics don't always mean everything. Typically to be successful at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, Driving Accuracy is a must. Last year's champion Brian Gay finished 17th in TOUR Driving Accuracy in 2008, while 2007 Mayakoba Golf Classic winner Fred Funk ranked second in TOUR Driving Accuracy that season.

• Coming into the Mayakoba Golf Classic, Woodland was 175th in TOUR Driving Accuracy and second in TOUR Driving Distance, while Piercy was tied for 181st in TOUR Driving Accuracy and third in TOUR Driving Distance (305.8).

• Woodland turned in Saturday's round of the day with a 7-under 63. Woodland and Piercy are both tied for 12th after the third-round at 6-under 204.

• Piercy is already having the best year of his career. Playing sparingly over the previous six seasons coming into 2009, Piercy registered 12 missed cuts in 20 TOUR events between 2003 and 2008. Piercy opened the season with a tie for 12th at the Sony Open in Hawaii, tied for 19th at the 50th Bob Hope Classic and tied for sixth at the FBR Open before missing the cut at the Buick Invitational. He has already almost doubled his earning this year compared to the previous six seasons.

• So far this season Piercy has shot in the 60s in 13 of his 18 total rounds. Piercy's final-round scoring average is 68.3 through three events this season.

• Brian Davis leads the field in Driving Accuracy at 90.48%, but is tied for 48th at even-par 210.

• El Camaleón Golf Club, designed by 2009 Presidents Cup International Team Captain Greg Norman, was ranked No. 14 among most-difficult courses on the PGA TOUR in 2008 (71.00). The par-4 third hole (462 yards) was ranked 22nd among the toughest holes on TOUR last year (4.385). Through 54 holes, the course is playing to an average of 70.604, while the third hole's scoring average is 4.216.

• There are several Mexican and Spanish players in the field this year. Leading the contingent is Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara, who is tied for 16th with a 5-under 205, while his countryman Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is tied for 63rd at 3 over. The two Mexican players still playing are Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, who is tied for 40th at 1 under, and Esteban Toledo, who is tied for 56th at 1 over.