American JJ Henry, in red-hot form with his putter, fired a seven-under-par 63 to surge two strokes clear in the Buick Championship third round at Cromwell, Connecticut on Saturday.
Bidding for his first PGA Tour victory in the event where he made his debut as an amateur, Henry rattled up eight birdies and a bogey on a hot day at the TPC at River Highlands, finishing at 11-under 199.
Compatriot and good friend Harrison Frazar, lifted by a six-birdie run from the par-four 10th, was alone in second place after firing a 65.
'It was one of those days I thought I was capable of at the start of the week,' local favourite Henry told reporters.
He added: 'I got hot with the putter today and gave myself a lot of birdie chances. I didn't hit it real close but my speed on the greens was good all day. I'm going to try to continue what I'm doing tomorrow and just enjoy the process.'
'I'm kind of carry the Connecticut flag after growing up here. To be out here with a chance to win the tournament is very special,' added the 31-year-old, who was born in nearby Fairfield but now lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
Four strokes off the lead at the start of the day, Henry raced to the turn in four-under 31 after picking up shots at the third, fifth, seventh and ninth.
He then birdied 11, 13, 15 and 17, where he sank a left-to-right breaking downhill putt from 25 feet, before bogeying the last after finding a greenside bunker with his approach.
Henry, who made his first PGA Tour start at the 1998 Buick Championship, finishing in a tie for 56th, added: 'I felt very comfortable out there. If I can just kind of enjoy what's going on and just having fun doing it, I seem to play well.'
Henry has posted three runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour, the most recent coming at the Phoenix Open in February.
Tour rookie Camilo Villegas of Colombia birdied seven of the last 11 holes for a 66 and a tie for third at eight-under with 2004 US Amateur champion Ryan Moore (67).
American left-hander Steve Flesch shot a 64 to lie a further stroke back, level with South Africa's Trevor Immelman (68) and Peter Lonard of Australia (70).
Darron Stiles, one stroke clear of the field overnight after carding a second successive 66, tumbled down the leaderboard with a 74.
Like Henry chasing a maiden victory on the PGA Tour, American journeyman Stiles lost ground when he bogeyed the par-four first.
He then parred the next ten holes before also dropping at the 12th, 14th and the last to finish at four-under 206.
