Paul Goydos watches his tee shot on the third hole on Day III of the Players Championship in Ponte Vedra on Saturday. (Reuters)

Ponte Vedra: Daniel Chopra turned in his first over-par card and the Swede of Indian origin slid to tied 20th after his eventful third round of 73 in the $9.5 million the Players Championship.

Overnight tied 16th, Chopra had a roller-coaster outing. By the time he approached the seventh hole, three birdies and as many bogeys had already made their entry in his card and he bogeyed the eighth as well to take the turn at one-over.

On resumption, he parried the 10th and then sunk back-to-back birdies but the 14th hole bogey denied him his third successive round of 72 and sent him over-par.

With his three-day total of one-over 217, Chopra would have to come up with something special on Monday to finish among the top 19.

At the top, Paul Goydos carded two-under 70 to grab the lead at 209, with overnight leader Kenny Perry (72) breathing down his neck from just one shot behind.

Meanwhile, Spaniard Sergio Garcia shrugged off the disappointment of a stumbling finish for the second day in a row. Despite striking the ball from tee to green as well as anyone in the 74-man field, Garcia bogeyed four of the last six holes to card a one-over-par 73 in the third round on Saturday.

The previous day, the 28-year-old had surrendered a one-stroke lead by double-bogeying the treacherous 17th but he remained upbeat about his title hopes going into Sunday’s final round.

A stroke off the pace overnight, Goydos delivered another superb putting display on the slick greens at the TPC at Sawgrass to stay on track for his third PGA Tour title.

The 43-year-old lipped out with a birdie attempt from 14 feet at the last before ending a sweltering day with a two-under-par 70. That left him at seven-under 209, one ahead of second-round pace-setter Perry who returned a 72.

(AGENCIES)