BANDON, OREGON (APRIL 19, 2005) -- Nowhere in golf is the ability to improvise more important than on a links course, as Brad Mombert found out in the third round of the amateurgolf.com Two Man Links Championship at Pacific Dunes.

Mombert, 24, who played college golf at the University of Oregon, is paired with fellow Bend, Oregon resident Jay Audia in the Championship Division. After his team suffered a double bogey at No. 2, Mombert was looking for a big drive at No. 3, a par five. But his into-the-face-of-the-wind drive's hook got grabbed so hard by a gust that it wound up in the fairway bunker on the adjacent 12th hole. With a hedge of gorse separating the fairways of the two holes, it can seemed like another world in the 'wrong fairway,' but chipping out wasn't an option.

"I only saw one play from there," explained Mombert. "Hit it up the 12th fairway and try to cross back over from there."

Mombert's shot, struck solidly from the bunker, found the 12th green. ("It would have been an awesome shot if I was playing the 12th," he said) and from there he took relief, wedged over the gorse to 8 feet, and made the putt for a routine birdie four.

That kind of creativity led to 3 more birdies for Audia and Mombert, on Nos. 5, 9, and 16, plus an eagle 3 on the 18th, where Audia chose a putter from the large dune to the left of the green and judged the speed so perfectly that the group felt like they were watching Tiger on No. 16 at Augusta as the ball trickled down the slope and made it's final revolution into the cup.

"We were looking for the Nike logo as it dropped in, but we all laughed as we realized it was a Callaway," joked Audia.

That eagle allowed Audia and Mombert to cap off a day that didn't start so well with a fine 3-under-par 68 and a four stoke lead heading into Wednesday's final round of the 72 hole championship. They are trailed by Erik Hallgrimson of Los Gatos, California and amateurgolf.com Founder Pete Wlodkowski, of Carlsbad, California, who shot 2-under par 69 at Pacific Dunes on Tuesday to stand at 2-under-par 212. Floridians Scott Hurley and Brian Johnson are another 4 shots back at 216.

In the Net Division, the team of Oregon-transplant Kevin MacGillivray (Portland) and Ken Griffiith of Rocklin, California didn't suffer too much from 'post low number lettdown' as they managed a respectable 3-under-par net 68 on Tuesday after their jaw-dropping 61 on Monday at Bandon Dunes. MacGillivray and Griffith could have made the lead insurmountable with another low number on Tuesday. Although they have an 8-stroke lead, they have a few demons to exorcise, as they lost a similar lead in this event last year.

Judging by their high level of focus (the two can be often found at the range after each round), smart money is on MacGillivray and Griffith to close the deal this time.

Father and Son team Jim and T.J. Tarbell of Colorado fired the low round of the day in the Net Division, a 6-under-par 65 at Pacific Dunes. The round was highlighted by T.J's gross birdie (with a stroke) on the treacherous 13th hole, a par four along the Pacific Ocean that played into a strong headwind. A wise intervention by their caddie helped the cause. "I was going to hit a 4-iron, but my caddie gave me the 3-iron," said Tarbell. "I hit it 15 feet past the pin and made the putt." His father, Jim, was still in the hole, but "quite pleased" to pick up two strokes.

Jack Robinson and Gil Wymond have a good poker hand going, as they have fired consecutive rounds of 72-73-74 to stand at 219 and stand just a stroke clear Gordon Pogorelc, of Centralia, Washington, and Scott Howard, of Fox Island, Washington, who fired a 72 on Tuesday to get to 220 at the 54-hole point.