(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) Lee Hodges and Paul Barjon took advantage of a late tee time Saturday to miss the worst of a windy day and share the third-round lead in The American Express.

"It was tough early and it kind of died on our back nine a little bit," Hodges said. "It was off and on, but it was a good wind. The easy holes were playing a little easier, but the hard holes were hard. So you just had to make a couple pars and then get to those downwind holes."

Playing together in the final group off the 10th tee on PGA West's Stadium Course, the PGA Tour rookies and close friends each birdied the par-5 fifth, par-4 seventh and par-5 eighth and closed with a par.

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