General / Editor / 22 April 2007 / Leave a Comment

Little-known American Nick Watney leads the field by two shots going into the final round of the Zurich Classic in New Orleans.

The 25-year-old is in his third year on the USPGA Tour and his best finish is fifth, which he achieved twice last season at the Reno-Tahoe Open and Funai Classic.

Watney impressed in windy conditions in Louisiana on Saturday, firing a four-under-par 68 to leave him on -12 and giving him a final day lead in a Tour event for the first time.

The leader admitted: "I know I'm going to have to play a good round. I won't be trying to protect anything, as I know that the guys are going to come charging."

Ken Duke, another player seeking a first PGA title, shot the best score of the third round with a 66, to leave him in second place on -10.

Overnight leader Mark Calcavecchia is tied for third with Scott Gutschewski on -9, while first round leader Kyle Reifers on -8.

When considering a Sunday flutter, Betfair punters will be noting that the Zurich Classic tournament has had first-time winners in four of the last five years.

After trading at over 100 pre-tournament, Watney is now the 2.66 favourite to claim his debut win.

Calcavecchia is next best at 6.8 with 38-year-old Duke available at 7.8, while Gutschewski and Reifers are trading at 13.5 and 23 respectively.