Anthony Kim gets in the swing as he races to front of the pack

American Anthony Kim stormed to the top of the leaderboard at the US PGA Tour Greenbrier Classic in Sulphur Springs last night with a blistering third-round 62.

The 26-year-old Californian picked up eight birdies in his bogey-free round which, after firing 69s in each of his first two rounds, moved him on to ten-under overall. Tour rookie Scott Stallings shot 66 to move into second place at nine-under.

Gary Woodland (67) and Webb Simpson (69) are two shots back.

Simpson was the second round co-leader with Brendon de Jonge but the Zimbabwean slipped down the field after a nightmare start to his third round. He double-bogeyed the par-four fifth and also dropped shots at the third and seventh holes shot, eventually shooting 72 to fall five strokes behind.

Kim's best round of the year left him with a chance to earn a spot in next week's Bridgestone Invitational with a win. His last win came a year ago at the Shell Houston Open before he underwent thumb surgery and took three months off.

Compatriot Jimmy Walker matched Kim's eight-under-par round to leave himself just three shots back.

England's Brian Davis, who put himself into contention in the second round with a best-of-the-day, six-under-par 64, also made a disappointing start to round three and was two over for the day after ten holes – three under par overall.

Davis has not yet won on the PGA Tour, though he came agonisingly close in last year's Heritage Classic when he called a two-stroke penalty on himself on the first hole of a play-off, handing the title to Jim Furyk.

n Meanwhile, unflappable Olin Browne fought off the heat to shoot a 65 and forge a two-shot lead over Mark O'Meara after yesterday's third round of the US Senior Open.

Browne, never a winner in his three years of competition since turning 50, set the tournament record for lowest score after 54 holes. After a record-tying 64 followed by a 69, he's at 15-under 198. O'Meara, winner of the 1998 Masters and Open, had a 66 in a head-to-head duel. Playing in the same pairing, he pulled level with Browne with a birdie at the ninth hole but Browne had five birdies on the tough back nine.

Six shots off the pace at nine-under are Jeff Sluman, Peter Senior, Joey Sindelar and Mark Calcavecchia.