(Western Junior Golf Association)

Shooting a third-round, 1-under 71, Wood extended his lead to five shots with an 8-under-par 208 total through 54 holes.

Asked to describe his play in one word, Wood chose “solid.”

“I have been hitting so many quality shots this week,” he added. “I haven’t been terrific, but you don’t have to hit fantastic shots all the time. You just have to put it in the right positions, and I feel like I’ve done that so far.”

Wood finished strong in today’s third round, birdieing two of his final five holes to separate him from the rest of the field.

Zecheng Dou followed Wednesday’s 68 with a third-round 71 that put him in a tie for second.

“Really? I’m in second?” Dou asked. “Well I know the leader, Adam Wood, is really consistent, and I am like five back, so tomorrow I’ll just have to play my best and try to catch up.” .

Dou was 3-over after the front nine today and knew he needed to make a move on the back nine if he wanted to stay in contention.

“I hit my drive left on 11 (a par 5) and then just hit a three-wood close to the green. I chipped in for eagle, and then I just started birdieing,” he said.

Dou followed up his eagle with three consecutive birdies to help him close with a 4-under 32 on the back nine.

Clayton Madey, of West Linn, Ore., also carded a 71 to leave him in a tie for second with Dou. Rigel Fernandes, of Bradenton, Fla., had tied the tournament low score of 5-under-par 67, launching him which into a tie for fourth with Ramsey Touchberry, also of Bradenton, Fla., and Austin Connelly, of Irving, Texas.

The championship’s final round will begin at 7 a.m. Friday, and by nightfall America’s oldest national junior golf championship will have a new champion.

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