Popovic goes two clear

Last updated: 15th December 2012

A 69 on Saturday sees Daniel Popovic head into Sunday's final round of the Australian PGA with a two-stroke lead.

Popovic has been out in front from the start of the tournament and despite an up and down round which saw six brides mixed with three bogeys, the rookie heads the field after three rounds with a total of 13-under-par.

The-26-year-old has expressed his excitement at his placing after each round and Saturday proved no different.

"I'm over the moon, I couldn't be feeling any better right now," he told the Australia PGA website.

"I knew that I had it in me and I still know that I do have one more good round tomorrow in me.

"I've just got to keep in routine ... what I've been doing has been working this week and tonight's going to be exactly the same and so it tomorrow morning in my warm-up."

Popovic's closest challenger is Anthony Brown who carded an incredible 64 to rocket into contention on 11-under.

Brown carded nine birdies and a lone bogey at the 13th as he made an early charge from the third group of the day.

"I knew that there was a good round in me, I didn't really have any expectations at the start of the day but whenever you shot 64 in any tournament, let alone the PGA, you take it," he said.

A further shot back on ten-under is last week's winner Peter Senior and Matthew Griffin. Brendan Jones, who finished as runner-up to Senior at the Australian Masters, is one of four players on nine-under.

Defending champion Greg Chalmers is six shoots adrift after carding a 68 on Saturday.

Darren Clarke, the biggest foreign name in the line-up, began the day well with three birdies in the first five holes, but two double-bogeys on the back nine saw him stumbled to even par for the round and five-under for the tournament.