Sepp Straka's game has been almost as clean as his head through three rounds at The American Express. Straka shot an 8-under 64 on Saturday in his third straight bogey-free round, staking the newly bald Austrian to a four-shot lead over Charley Hoffman,

Charley Hoffman won The American Express golf tournament, then the Bob Hope Classic, in January of 2007. That was four months before Blades Brown was born. On Friday, with the 17-year-old Brown playing his second round as a pro, Hoffman found himself outplaying the youngster, though just barely, to take the lead in the desert’s PGA Tour event.

PGA Tour veteran Charley Hoffman and the Philippines' Rico Hoey each shot 9-under-par 63 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course on Friday to split the 36-hole lead at The American Express in La Quinta, Calif.