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Jaime Aron
Associated Press
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, México (AP) - Face-down on the ground behind the 13th tee box, with a trainer mashing on his back and his three-shot lead shriveled into a tie, Fred Funk's trip to the Riviera Maya suddenly wasn't looking like much fun.
Then Funk popped up and grimaced his way to a birdie. Then another one. In between, the guy he'd been tied with had a bogey.
 | | Funk received treatment on his back behind the 13th tee box after playing all day with tightness and pain. |
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Just like that, Funk's lead was back to three strokes.
Funk shot a 64 Saturday and finished the third round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic holding a two-stroke lead over Jose Coceres, giving him a great chance to make the PGA Tour's first trip to México historic in another way. If Funk holds on, he'd join Craig Stadler as the only players to win on the regular tour after winning a seniors event.
Stadler did it in back-to-back weeks in 2003. Funk's Champions victory came a month ago in Hawaii, when he won the Turtle Bay Championship by 11 strokes.
This one obviously will be tougher, in many ways, starting with his cranky back.
"I was hurting pretty bad there on the 11th tee and 12th tee," Funk said. "I was wondering if it stayed like that, how many full swings would I have? I just had to get through the round. I was fortunate to make a couple of birdies there, too."
Coceres shot 65, leaving him alone in second place at 197. Skip Kendall was the big mover of the day, shooting 63 to jump into a tie for fifth at 201.
Peter Lonard (67) and Cameron Beckman (69) are tied for third at 200. Boo Weekley shot an even par 70 and is tied with Kendall. Beckman and Weekley came into Saturday's round tied with Funk.
Funk hurt his back a few weeks ago, but isn't sure how. He's never had any problems and was relieved to know it came from muscle, not a disc. After the opening round, he joked that "Advil and stretching has been a godsend to me."
Funk grabbed his back and grunted slightly after his first fairway shot of the day. By the second tee, he was into his stretching regimen - crossing his ankles and bending over at the waist, frequently lifting and flexing his left leg as if he were on a single-pedaled bicycle.
"Today, it got really bad," Funk said. "My first swing on the first hole I tweaked it."
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