'AIEA — Jesse Mueller used the $80,000 Hawai'i Pearl Open as a warmup for the warm-weather Gateway Tour last year. One year and four wins later, he's back at Pearl Country Club with a four-shot lead going into today's final round.

Mueller, a 25-year-old Arizona pro, fired his second straight 66 yesterday. Those closest to his 36-hole total of 12-under-par 132 are the Endos — Japanese pros Makoto and Akira — and John Ellis, the 2008 Canadian Tour Player of the Year. Makoto was the first-round leader after shooting 64 with replacement clubs (his were stolen); he fell to 72 yesterday. Akira has two 68s. He plays on the JGTO tour, while Makoto is a step down on the Challenge Tour.

Kaua'i's Casey Watabu, the 2006 Public Links champion, pulled into contention with a bogey-free 66 that has him six back.

"After yesterday I had to get myself back into it," said Watabu, who turned pro last year and will try to qualify for the Canadian Tour next month. "I drove the ball way better. Yesterday everything was going left. I tweaked some stuff and got a little more back on point."

He played with 2007 Pearl champion Tadd Fujikawa the first two rounds and got the best of the Moanalua High School senior yesterday. Fujikawa's 74 — with 30 putts for the second straight day — has him nine shots off the lead.

"Another 62 would be nice," grinned Fujikawa, whose 62 at Sony Open last month put him in contention. "I don't even know if that's good enough. I just need to go out there and play my game. I'm playing well. I'll work on my putting after this. Right now it's a matter of a few breaks here and there and a few missed putts and I'm right in there."

'Iolani freshman Lorens Chan is low amateur going into the final round and tied with current coach, and six-time Pearl champion, David Ishii at 73—140. Punahou junior Bradley Shigezawa — last year's low amateur — is next at 71—142.

Among those who did not make it to the final day are 12-year-olds Donny Hopoi (77—154) and Shunsuke Kajiya (78—155), Miki Saiki (80—152) and Kumiko Kaneda (82—156) — the only women in the tournament — and former Manoa Cup champion Ryan Perez, whose 13-shot improvement was not enough to make up for a bad start.

The cut came at 3-over 147 for the pros, with the top 17 amateurs also playing on.

Mueller's 66 came early, before the wind started swirling and thunder clapped. It gives him a cushion that feels much more comfortable after he dominated the Gateway Tour last year, winning four tournaments and $171,000, and finishing in the top five 16 times.

He tied for eighth here last year in his first look at Pearl's relatively short layout, which is long on slippery slopes.

"I just got a feel for the course," said Mueller, whose only disappointment last year was a poor showing in the final stage of PGA Tour qualifying. "I got an idea of where people shoot. ... The biggest difference this year is probably my putting. It's better than last year.

"I like the course, like the greens. You can be aggressive with your putter, but it still rolls nice. There are a lot of holes that set up pretty well for me."

In five rounds at Pearl, Mueller is 19-under. He had six birdies and an eagle each of the first two days this year while playing with 65-year-old Hawai'i resident Dave Eichelberger of the Champions Tour. Mueller could be even lower — he has four bogeys, all on par-3s.

He finished so early, Mueller had no idea where he stood in the tournament, but knew he would be "around the lead for sure." After last year, he is comfortable looking back at the field.

"I've learned not to press and just be patient and play the golf course instead of your playing partners," said Mueller, who got a marketing degree from Arizona State in 2005. "You definitely can get wrapped up in the moment. I try not to. If I play the golf course and my game I'll be OK."

NOTES

Today's SBS Open at Turtle Bay prequalifier has a field of 11, playing for two spots in tomorrow's qualifier. It includes Alina Ching, Allisen Corpuz, Anna Jang, Eimi Koga, Kristina Merkle, Cyd Okino and Xyra Suyetsugu.

Two from the LPGA's regular Monday qualifier get into the SBS Open, which begins Thursday at Turtle Bay's Palmer Course. Annika Sorenstam won last year's event and has since retired. The tournament ends Saturday, so it can be shown live Sunday in Korea by the title sponsor.