PGA Thoughts of Lord Byron are on Verplank's mind

A flyover by fighter jets marked the first such stoppage during a tournament.
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Scott Verplank is honoring the memory of Byron Nelson the best way he can: playing steady golf and trying to finally win Lord Byron's tournament.
Verplank shot a 4-under 66 Saturday to pull within a stroke of leader Luke Donald going into the final round of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.
As a teenager growing up in Dallas, Verplank got to play several rounds with Nelson after being introduced to him when his mother worked as a tournament volunteer. Now playing in his 21st Nelson, the 42-year-old Verplank is in position to win it for the first time.
How he sees it
"If I happen to do that, it would probably be the highlight of my career," said Verplank, who refers to the Nelson as his fifth major.
"Byron was so great to me for 25, 26 years that I knew him. He kind of took me under his wing when I was a kid," he said. "He was one of the finest gentlemen I've ever met in my life. ... Because I'm from here and this tournament has his name on it, it's a pretty big deal to me."
Verplank will play in the final group today with Donald, who barely hung onto the lead after his round of 67, his 11th straight under-par round in the Nelson.
Donald followed a bogey at No. 17, when he hit his tee shot at the 196-yard par 3 into the bunker, with a par-saving two-putt from more than 50 feet on the closing hole that left him at 10-under 200.
Finally leading the Nelson after all his under-par rounds in the event, Donald had consecutive bogeys early to fall behind by two strokes. The Englishman recovered with five birdies in a 10-hole stretch that were enough to put him back ahead.
Field bunched
"This is a tournament where it always seems very bunched," Donald said. "That's a little bit why I'm disappointed I made 4 on 17. Just giving that one back maybe gave a few more people a thought that they might have a good chance [today]."
Michael Allen, the 48-year-old journeyman who got into the Nelson by surviving a playoff in a qualifying event Monday, was alone in third at 8 under after his bogey-free 64. Ian Poulter (65) was 6 under.
Phil Mickelson (66) and Vijay Singh (69), the only top-10 players in the world playing this week, were in a group at 5 under with Ken Duke (64), Ryuji Imada (67) and Fredrik Jacobson (71).
Play was stopped midway through the round for a moment of silence in honor of Nelson that was followed by a flyover by a squadron of fighter jets. It was the first time the PGA Tour ever had such a stoppage during a tournament.
"It was a very nice touch, a fitting memory for Byron Nelson," Donald said.