Steven Bowditch leads by three shots at Valero Texas Open

Steven Bowditch will head into the fourth and final round of the Valero Texas Open with a three-shot lead.

The 30-year-old started the third round in San Antonio with a one-shot advantage and went from strength to strength as the day progressed.

The Australian carded a four-under 68 on Saturday to reach 12-under overall and retain his place at the top of the leaderboard.

Matt Kuchar and Andrew Loupe are tied for second spot on nine-under, with the former jumping 14 places with a seven-under 65, while the latter mixed five birdies and three bogeys in his round of 70.

Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson withdrew from the tournament in the third round after pulling a muscle in his side while hitting a driver on the second hole.