Adams leads by 1 through 3 rounds

ZION CROSSROADS — Trailing by one stroke coming into the third round of the Spring Creek Classic, it didn’t take long for Frank Adams III to catch leader Jay McLuen. In fact, McLuen’s lead lasted just one hole as he picked up a bogey while Adams tapped in a birdie.

From there, it was smooth sailing for Adams, as he finished his second straight round of bogey-free golf with a 5-under 67 to head into today’s final round with a one-stroke lead in the competition.

“I’m just putting it in fairways,” Adams said. “I made two bogeys in the first round and that’s been it since. I’ve hit the fairways and hit the greens.

“The two times that I did hit the rough today, I still managed to put it in the hole for par, but putting it on the fairway has been huge. It’s a tough golf course already, so when you put it in the rough, you’re just multiplying that.”

Just one shot behind Adams in a tie for second place are Trevor Murphy and Fernando Mechereffe. Murphy put in the low score of the round with his 7-under 65, which boasted an eagle and eight birdies to more than offset his three bogeys.

Murphy made the cut last weekend at the U.S. Open at Bethpage and was paired with 2006 winner Geoff Ogilvy on Sunday before flying into Virginia.

“It’s been a little crazy,” Murphy said. “I’ve only got a pair of muddy pants, so I’ve been doing a lot of laundry.”

Feeling good about making the cut last weekend at the U.S. Open — in addition to his recent wedding and a move to a new house on Sunday — Murphy confessed that he’s probably not quite as focused on this event as he would have been in the past.

“Honestly, win lose or draw I’m going to be okay,” Murphy said. “Making the cut last week, I’m feeling really good about my game. But I’m still going to go out and try my best.”

Adams sees things slightly different. The $300,000 paycheck that the winner collects could go a long way.

“I’ve felt pressure here since day one,” Adams said. “This is mini-tour golf, not the PGA. A lot of us out here are playing for our own money and that makes a big difference. You know that’s a part of what gets our blood flowing.”

Mechereffe put in his third straight round of 69 to tie for second. While Adams and Murphy each credited hitting the fairways as the keys to their low scores, it was all about putting for Mechereffe.

“Just today and yesterday I’ve been putting really well,” he said. “Obviously, you have to hit the fairways on this course because of the rough. But I usually hit a lot of fairways anyways, so that’s not the area I’m really concerned about. It’s not what I usually struggle with.”

The Brazilian tallied just one bogey while picking up four birdies and an eagle.

Matt Hendrix sits two shots back from Adams after he followed Thursday’s 8-under 64 with a 5-under 67. Tommy Biershenk and Roberto Castro are tied for fifth at three shots back.

The final round begins today at 7:30 a.m. and the leaders will tee off at 9:40.