Frank Lickliter fires 63 at U.S. Bank to lead by one over Greg Chalmers

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Frank Lickliter’s career took a 21‚Ñ2-year detour through an arm injury that left him without a PGA tour card and forced him back to qualifying school.

The avid bear hunter’s drive to win again never diminished, and now the results are starting to show.

Lickliter shot his best round in nearly three years, posting a 63 to surge to the top of the leaderboard at 11-under 199 after the third round of the U.S. Bank Championship on Saturday.

“If people think I’m pretty intense, they’re right,” Lickliter said. “I’ve been working hard, extremely hard. And I knew I was doing a lot of good things.”

Greg Chalmers, who led by two strokes after Friday’s second round, was one behind Lickliter after shooting a 69. Jeff Maggert and Chris Riley finished two back at 9-under 201.

Lickliter, who last won on tour in 2003, started the day 4 under, but birdied six out of seven holes at one point and was one putt away from his personal best round of 61, missing an eagle attempt and eventually settling for par.

Chalmers, a left-handed Australian nicknamed “Snake” as a play on words of his last name, doesn’t know much about the man he’ll play with in today’s final round.

“I know he owns a lot of guns, so I think I’ll keep away from him,” Chalmers joked. “Sometimes he can have that look of like ‘Just get out of my way.’ But I haven’t had a problem. ... I think the sunglasses do it. I think you just can’t see the guy’s eyes and it makes him like, ‘Don’t mess with me.”’

Lickliter, a two-time tour winner who had the 54-hole lead heading into the final day in each, enjoys his time in Milwaukee, and he’s the type of guy this blue collar town can relate to even if this tournament doesn’t survive because it will need a new title sponsor to return next season.

Lickliter loves just about every type of hunting, a cold Guinness and chows on two orders of fried calamari every night at a seafood joint that’s near the course.

“It’s little things like that,” Lickliter said. “This place is like coming home. The people are so great and they love golf. It’s just a great place to be.”