Swede Michael Pernfors is proving this week he can wield a golf club almost as well as he can a tennis racquet.

The former Davis Cup star and winner of Bermuda's inaugural XL Tennis Classic continues to lead the annual Founders Trophy tournament at Mid Ocean Club with partner Hugh Barit.

Pernfors, now retired from competitive tennis and living in Georgia, USA, combined with Barit yesterday to shoot a third successive net round of 66.

That leaves them poised to lift their first ever Founders title as they head into today's final round of the 72-hole tournament on 198, two strokes clear of the defending champions Kirk Kitson and Tony Lee.

Bermudian Kitson and Lee, from Massachusetts, closed in on their rivals with a 65 yesterday to finish on 200.

Holding down third place in the net division are Leon Nearon and Ed Presley who fired an impressive 63 to move onto 203.

However, by far the most spectacular round of the day belonged to 82 year-old Harreld Kirkpatrick and Sam Levinson who blistered the course in 61, having recorded a pair of 73s in their opening two rounds.

A former Kentucky Amateur champion, Kirkpatrick, who now lives in Florida, played in both the Masters and the British Open as an amateur.

Yesterday he and Levinson strung together a bundle of birdies to move through the field and into 11th place from their overnight position of 34th.

In the gross division, the honours again belonged to Pernfors and Barit as they carded a one-over-par 72 to stand on 217, one stroke clear of second-placed Guy Phelan and Richard Cox (218) who slumped to their worst round of the week, a 75.

Paul and Peter Evans are in third place on 220 after a 72 yesterday.