By Michael DiRocco
Florida Times-Union sports writer
Morris News Service

PONTE VEDRA BEACH - Rain dampened Michael Bradley's clothes, but it certainly hasn't dampened his chances heading into Sunday's final round of The Players Championship.

Bradley is one of 10 golfers log-jammed at 10-under-par or better after Saturday's third round. And like most of the golfers within four shots of leader Tommy Tolles, Bradley made his move despite an almost constant rain.

The 29-year-old Bradley fired a 6-under-par 66 to move to 11-under for the tournament, joining Jay Haas (11-under) and David Duval (12-under) in the top three. Seven other players, includng Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie and Fred Funk, are bunched at 10-under.

``I felt pretty comfortable today,'' Bradley said. ``I haven't been as calm as I was the week of Doral -- a few more butterflies.''

He was calm enough to hit eight birdies, including ones on Nos. 10, 11 and 12. But as the rain worsened, he wobbled down the stretch. He bogeyed 15, recovered to birdie 16, then faltered with a bogey on 17 when his tee shot trickled back into the rough.

Els played himself into contention early in the morning with a 7-under 65 left him tied with Montgomerie, Funk, Vijay Singh, Scott Gump, Fred Couples and Kenny Perry at 10-under. He took the most advantage of the dry conditions to birdie five of the first nine holes and went to the clubhouse just one shot behind Tolles, who had yet to tee off.

``The course is out there for low scoring,'' Els said. ``The last round of a tournament of this magnitude, a lot of people will be pressing.''

Among those will be Montgomerie, who shot a 1-under 71 yesterday.

``(Hole) 11 was the only birdie that I made in the last two days,'' he said. ``I have played the hard holes well, so we will see. I have got to get the birdies on the par-5s (today).''

Softer greens due to rain on Friday fostered aggressive play yesterday, Bradley said, and golfers can expect the greens to be even slower today with more rain forecast.

``If it rains all day, I don't think the scores are going to be as low,'' he said. ``If the wind doesn't blow (today), scores are going to be OK because the greens are going to be soft. There's no way they can firm them up. They can roll them or cut them or do what they want, they're still going to be pretty receptive.

``If it's windy, there's not telling. If it gets windy, you can shoot 80 out here in a heartbeat.''

Els said the pressure is on Tolles, who can become the fourth golfer in four weeks to get his first career victory, and other young golfers like Duval.

``Everybody is going to be kind of tense out there and you've just got to try and keep your cool and hit your shots and be as aggressive as you can out there,'' he said. ``There are a lot of youngsters, so to speak, out there so it's an even bigger test for them.