Eric Cole shot seven-under-par 63 for the best score in the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge, taking the lead Saturday at Fort Worth, Texas.
Cole, aiming for his first victory on the PGA Tour, goes to Sunday's final round at 12-under 198, holding a one-stroke edge on Ryan Gerard.
Gerard birdied the last two holes of the third round to post 68. Mac Meissner (67 on Saturday) and J.J. Spaun (68) are two shots off the lead on the Colonial Country Club layout.
Seamus Power dropped five places after a four-over par 74.
The Waterford man is in a tie for 70th on two over after a round containing two birdies and six bogeys.
Cole has never had a top-five finish on the PGA Tour, but he had back-to-back outings this spring when he tied for sixth place (Zurich Classic of New Orleans and Myrtle Beach Classic). Meissner is also without a top-five result.
Cole played the first 11 holes Saturday in six under and later followed his lone bogey on 15 with a birdie on the next hole. Meissner finished his first 11 holes at five under for the round.
Alex Smalley (69), Russell Henley (69) and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama (70) are tied for fifth place at nine under.
There's an eighth-place tie at eight under with Michael Thorbjornsen (71), Michael Brennan (69), Canada's Mackenzie Hughes (69) and Colombia's Nico Echavarria (65).
Second-round leader Jordan Smith of England shot 74 to plummet to a tie for 19th place at six under. He didn't have a birdie and he was dinged with three consecutive bogeys on the front side.
Defending champion Ben Griffin shot 68 to pull to 6 under for the tournament.
