Kim closes in on Houston win for third Tour title

ANTHONY Kim was closing in on the third PGA Tour victory of his career in Texas last night as he took a three-shot lead heading into the back nine of his final round at the Shell Houston Open.

The 24-year-old from Los Angeles had shared the 54-hole lead at Redstone Golf Club with fellow American Bryce Molder at ten-under par while England's Lee Westwood was rallying over his closing holes to try and engineer a top-ten finish heading into next week's Masters.

Molder made the turn at one over for the day following a bogey at the par-four third hole but Kim had hit the ground running with birdies at the par-four first, and par-five fourth and eighth to reach 13 under.

That left American Vaughn Taylor, two under for the day having played ten holes, to lead the chase. Another birdie at the 11th moved him to 11-under par to close the gap to two shots.

Former US PGA champion Shaun Micheel moved to ten under, seven under for his final round but running out of holes as he played the last. Sharing second place with Micheel was fellow American Kevin Stadler, five under for his round having played 15 holes.

Westwood, who followed rounds of 69 and 68 with a level-par 72 on Saturday, undid a birdie at the first with back-to-back bogeys at the third and fourth holes before birdies at the 12th and 14th got him to eight under with four to play.

Justin Rose was the next best European following his final round of 70, at six under for the tournament, while Scotland's Martin Laird finished on one-under after a closing round of 71.