Day grinds out a 70, holds his lead

The words Jason Day has used all week at Bay Hill are what he gets from Tiger Woods whenever they talk about playing with the lead.

Patience. Aggression. Extend the lead. And if you're not on your game, post a good score.

It carried Day to a 2-under 70 in rough weather Saturday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, giving him a two-shot lead and one more day to show he's a quick study. He has won the past three times he had at least a share of the 54-hole lead.

"It's a different pressure, but it's a good, uncomfortable feeling that I've always talked about, that I always want in my career," Day said. "Because I know that if I've got that, I have a comfortable feeling that I'm doing it right. And usually, I'm around the lead."

It wasn't easy Saturday, even though tee times were moved forward because of a forecast of storms in the afternoon. That didn't keep the rain from showing up, occasionally heavy, or for the temperatures to fluctuate and the wind to swirl.

Henrik Stenson caught up and briefly passed him. Troy Merritt, who played at Spring Lake Park High School, and Kevin Chappell hung around.

"I felt like I couldn't get any momentum, especially with the umbrella up and down, the rain gear on and off," Day said. "All that said, I feel like I stayed patient to ground out a 2 under par."

Day will be in the final group with Merritt, who won for the first time on the PGA Tour last year at the Quicken Loans National. Stenson will be in the penultimate group with Chappell, who is playing his 150th PGA Tour event and still trying to win.

Saturday was a grind for everyone.

Stenson wasted little time cutting into the deficit when he two-putted for birdie on the par-5 fourth, hit wedge to 6 feet for birdie on the next hole and then took the lead with a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 sixth. But a series of shots into bunkers and out poorly cost him a share of the lead, and Stenson never caught up.

Day would love to get back to No. 1 in the world. A victory on Sunday would at least get him within range of Jordan Spieth with the Masters approaching.

• Scott Verplank shot his second straight 6-under 66 to take the second-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions' Tucson Conquistadores Classic. Jim Carter (63) and Wes Short Jr. (65) were a stroke back.