Amer Ari Invitational: Washington takes lead

WAIKOLOA, HI (Feb. 8, 2013) -- Washington, No. 6 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Amer Ari Invitational after shooting 13-under 275 Thursday at the Waikoloa (Hawaii) Beach Golf Resort’s Kings’ Course. Washington is at 21-under 555, while seventh-ranked UCLA is at 19 under par after shooting 8-under 280 Thursday. No. 2 Texas is 14 under par and in third place. The Longhorns’ Cody Gribble shares the individual lead with UCLA’s Pontus Widegren at 7-under 137. Widegren shot 68-69, while Gribble fired 69-68. Six players – Washington’s Chris Williams and Trevor Simsby, Auburn’s Dominic Bozelli, Oregon State’s David Fink, USC’s Anthony Paolucci and Texas’ Brandon Stone – are tied for third, one stroke off the lead. Five of the top six players in the Golfweek/Sagarin individual rankings are in the Amer Ari field. Only No. 1 Michael Kim of Cal is absent. Washington’s Cheng-Tsung Pan, No. 2 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, is tied for 11th after shooting two consecutive 70s. Stone is No. 3 in Golfweek’s individual rankings. No. 4 Julien Brun of TCU is T-55 at 2-over 146 after shooting 75 Thursday. NO. 5 Talor Gooch of Oklahoma State is T-23 with consecutive 71s. Simsby, who’s tied for third, is No. 6 in the rankings.