Defending champion Bill Haas tore apart Riviera Country Club to fashion a three-shot lead after the third round of the US PGA tour event in Los Angeles.
Haas fired a seven-under 64 to move to 12-under 201, three clear of fellow American John Merrick (70), current US Open champion Webb Simpson (68) and 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (68).
Adam Scott was the best of the Australians, shooting a 70 to move to five-under 208, seven shots adrift in a tie for 11th.
Haas’s bogey-free round consisted of five birdies and a chip-in eagle and was three shots better than any other player, putting the American in prime position to defend his crown and claim a fifth tour win.
“I’m very pleased obviously,” Haas said.
“I was just kind of plugging along out there and then all of a sudden, made a nice putt at nine, chip in at 10, good up and down at 11. And then made a couple of nice par saves.
“I think I’ve just got to try to stay in the moment (tomorrow), don’t let my emotions get the best of me.”
Scott, who started the day five off the pace, opened his round with a loose approach to the greenside bunker on the par five opening hole but splashed out to close and converted the putt for a birdie.
He saved a par on the second despite being hamstrung by a fence but lost a stroke on the fifth when his long birdie putt from the fringe rolled by and he couldn’t convert the comeback par putt.
A birdie on the seventh and another scrambling par five birdie on the 11th moved the Queenslander inside the top 10 but he dropped back off the pace with bogey on 15.
Scott drove the ball into the fairway bunker and was forced to just pitch it out, eventually missing a six-foot par save.
“I wish I could have been one or two shots better,” Scott said.
“It wasn’t pretty today. I was still trying to find my rhythm off the tee.”
Playing in the same group Greg Chalmers, who started the day tied with Scott, struggled to a two-over 73.
His card was blotched with five bogeys and just three birdies dropping him to two-under-par and a tie for 22nd.
Marc Leishman, who made the cut on the number, posted a nice 68 to get to one under par in a tie for 35th while Stuart Appleby (71) is tied 45th at even par.
