MILWAUKEE — Greg Norman won't be the only Australian trying for a win today.

Fellow countrymen Nick Flanagan and Gavin Coles are tied for the lead at 11 under entering the final round of the U.S. Bank Championship, a tournament that Norman himself won in 1989.

And if Norman should go on to become the oldest major champion with a win in the British Open, Coles and Flanagan won't feel overshadowed.

"That would be definitely OK with me. I'm playing in America because Greg Norman showed us that we could play here. Norman, back in the 90s, was the guy we all looked up to," Coles said. "It's going to be unbelievable and I hope he does it."

Flanagan fired a third-round 69, rebounding from a bogey at the 17th by knocking a hybrid to within 12 feet on the 557-yard, par-5 finishing hole and making a tap-in birdie to reclaim a share of the lead at 199 with Coles (68).

"I thought I hit a perfect putt. I don't know how it missed," Flanagan said of his eagle chance.

Second-round co-leader Richard S. Johnson of Sweden, playing with Flanagan, also just missed an eagle putt at the 18th. But his tap-in birdie allowed him to finish at even-par 70, tied with Jon Mills (64), George McNeill (66) and Ken Duke (68) a stroke back of the leaders at 201.

Hawai'i's Dean Wilson, a Castle High alum who appeared to have shot his way out of contention with a 73 on Friday, moved back into the hunt with a 6-under 64 yesterday. He is tied with 10 others at 8-under 202.

The low rounds came despite a drizzle that fell most of the day. Coles said the light rain was not a problem because there was no high wind.

"The weather was not a nuisance and the course was made for some birdies," he said.

Kenny Perry, whose decision to play the tournament instead of the British Open was panned by players and the media, shot a third-round 69 to get to 6-under 204, which might be too far back to have much of a chance at his fourth win this season.

3M CHAMPIONSHIP

EAKS OPENS THREE-SHOT LEAD AFTER A 9-UNDER 63

BLAINE, Minn. — R.W. Eaks fired an 9-under 63 yesterday for a three-stroke lead over Gene Jones and Loren Roberts after the second round of the Champions Tour's 3M Championship.

Eaks is at 16-under 128 through two rounds, the best two-round score on tour this year.

First-round leader Dana Quigley is four shots back. Bernhard Langer is at 11-under 133.

Severe weather halted play for nearly three hours, and tournament officials sent all spectators away, although a few came back.

The TPC Twin Cities received 1.25 inches of rain from the thunderstorms, softening greens for those who waited out the delay.

Eaks, who has one top-10 finish in 14 starts this year, went 6-under on his first 10 holes once play resumed to pull ahead. He also birdied No. 18 as darkness was quickly closing in.

U.S. PUBLIC LINKS

NEWMAN DEFEATS CHIN, 5 AND 3, IN TITLE MATCH

AURORA, Colo. — Jack Newman wanted to play in a few high profile tournaments this summer, just to see how he stacked up.

Turns out, very well.

Newman, a soon-to-be junior at Michigan State, beat John Chin, 5 and 3, yesterday in the 36-hole final of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Murphy Creek Golf Course.

The native of Des Moines, Iowa, earns the traditional invitation into the field for next year's Masters.

"I had that on my mind all day," he said of the invitation. "I'm going to the show. I'm pretty pumped about going."

Maybe he can get some inside information on Augusta National from fellow Iowan Zach Johnson? After all, Johnson won a green jacket last year.

Chin, a soon-to-be junior at the UC-Irvine, was awed at Newman's consistency.

"Jack was awesome out there," said Chin, the tournament's 59th seed who's from Temecula, Calif. "He didn't make a mistake and putted really well.

"I felt like if I just play my game I could easily take Jack on. He played good, no doubt about it. This wasn't my day."