Island Packet Verizon Heritage 2008 Coverage | Harbour Town, Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island, SC

Hennie Otto recorded six back-nine birdies, including three in a row to close his round, for a nine-under 63 on Saturday and a four-shot lead after the third round of the Italian Open.

The South African Otto established a new 54-hole record with his three-round total of 22-under 194, topping Patrik Sjoland's former mark of 195 from 1998.

Overnight leader Robert Karlsson flew out of the gate with an eagle at No. 1, but only managed a three-under 69 on Saturday. He is tied for second place with Christian Nilsson and Alvaro Velasco, who both shot 64 in round three, at 18-under 198.

Otto birdied his first hole, but then dropped a stroke with a bogey at No. 2. He missed the fairway at the third, but hit a seven-iron to 10 feet to set up birdie.

The South African made it back-to-back birdies at four, then polished off three in a row with a 25-footer at the fifth. Otto did well to hole a 20-foot bogey putt at the eighth, then reclaimed the lost stroke with a two-putt birdie from 15 feet at the par-five ninth.

Otto started his back nine with an eight-foot birdie putt at the 10th. At the par-five 12th, he sank a 10-foot birdie putt to take the outright lead at minus-18. He padded the cushion with a birdie at 13, then took some time off from making birdies with back-to-back pars at 14 and 15.

At the par-three 16th, Otto knocked his tee ball inside a foot. He tapped that in for birdie, then hit a terrible tee shot at the short par-four 17th. Otto wedged his approach to 20 feet and made the birdie putt to reach 21-under par for the championship.

Otto got the 54-hole record with a long birdie putt at the last.

"It put icing on the top," Otto said of his 35-footer at the 18th. "I haven't made a long one like that for ... I don't know how long."

"I played well today. I made a few mistakes with tee shots. There are birdies to be made out there. If you can just keep it together, it will come. Really it will."

A win on Sunday will not only be his first on the European Tour, but might erase some horrible memories from earlier this season.

Otto held a five-shot lead overnight at the Madeira Islands Open, but shot a final-round 77. He lost a sudden-death playoff to Alastair Forsyth on the first extra hole.

"I don't have Madeira on my mind," acknowledged Otto. "I just didn't make putts the last day. The greens are so good this week. If you have the right lines, they go in. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

Phillip Archer (65) and Ross McGowan (64) are knotted in fifth place at 17- under 199. Gregory Havret (63) and Oliver Wilson (65) share seventh at minus-16.

Estanislao Goya (68), Anders Hansen (68), Marcel Siem (65) and Marco Soffietti (63) are tied for ninth place at 15-under-par 201.