He can only hope for a better ending this time around.

Roberts overcame a slow start to shoot a 3-under 67 today and take a three-stroke lead over Fred Funk in the Champions Tour's final major tournament of the year.

A year ago, Roberts held a two-shot lead after three rounds. But he shot a 74 on the final day to tie for third.

Roberts intends to dismiss that memory when he tees off in the final threesome Sunday with Funk, a local favorite, and Tom Watson, who shot a 68 to forge into third place at 5 under.

"I'm just going to go out and play golf. That's what I've been doing for the first three days," Roberts said. "I expect it to be a lot of fun with Fred and Tom Watson on top of that."

Roberts, Funk and Watson are the only three players in the tournament to post three straight sub-par rounds.

Roberts bogeyed two of the first three holes Saturday, but rebounded to lengthen the two-shot lead he owned at the midpoint of the tournament. After making 14 birdies and only four bogeys over the first 54 holes, Roberts was at 10-under 200.

Roberts dropped into an early tie with Watson after opening bogey-birdie-bogey. He got even for the day with a birdie on No. 5 before making four straight pars.

"To get through the front nine at even par, when I really didn't hit it all that good, it kind of gave me a little bit of a lift," he said. "Really, my whole round was 10 through 15."

Roberts began the back nine by making an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 10. Then he used a 4-iron to set up an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-3, 189-yard 11th hole. After a par on 12, Roberts made a 10-foot birdie putt.

He finished with five straight pars.

"I started off hitting a couple of poor shots early but hung in there," Roberts said.

Funk had the best score of the day, a 66. He hit every fairway and, like Roberts, made three birdies over a bogey-free back nine.

"I hit exceptionally well off the tee today. If I can do that tomorrow, that's what I need to do," Funk said. "But you've got to play really well more than likely, the way Loren's playing."

If nothing else, Funk is right where he wants to be.

"My goal this week was to try to get to the last group Sunday and have an opportunity to feed off that," he said.

Although Roberts collapsed in this situation last year, Funk knows overcoming a three-shot deficit against a hot golfer will not be easy.

"Hopefully I can do exactly what I did today off the tee and give myself opportunities to make some putts and put the heat on (him) early," Funk said. "If I don't do that and he gets off to a fast start, it's see you later. It's a hard course to catch up on because it's a hard course to make a lot of birdies on."

Funk will likely have the gallery on his side. He was born in Maryland, attended the University of Maryland and served as golf coach at the school from 1982-88.

First-round co-leader Mark Wiebe shot a 69 to move into a fourth-place tie at 4 under with Des Smyth and Dave Eger. Jay Haas, the leading money winner on the tour this year, was tied with Dana Quigley and Gil Morgan, seven shots back.

Scott Hoch, who started the round in second place, shot a 74 to drop nine shots back. He opened with a double-bogey 6 and added bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8 to fall out of contention.