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SPRINGFIELD — Michael Bernard played his first round of golf ever when his dad took him to Snyder Park when he was 9. He learned the game in part by taping shows on the Golf Channel and imitating the pros' swings.

Five years later, Bernard will play the biggest round of golf in his young career when he tees off today, July 20, in the final round of the Springfield News-Sun/National Trail Parks and Recreation District Men's City Amateur.

Bernard, a 14-year-old freshman at Wayne High School, shot a 1-under 71 Saturday in the third round and sits one shot back of the leaders, Andy Bonar and Kyle Sine.

"I'm in a pretty good position," Bernard said. "I'm only one back. Anything can happen. There's a lot of golf left to play."

Bernard birdied Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 9 and bogied 12, 16 and 18.

"The front nine, I hit the ball horrible, and it was probably the best scrambling I've ever had," Bernard said. "On the back nine, I hit the ball a lot better. I just couldn't get the ball in the hole for my life. It was a little up and down, but overall, it was pretty solid."

So far, Bernard's performance in his first City Am has been the story of the tournament.

"I'd love to be out there watching him play, instead of playing myself, I think," said 2005 champion Joe Turney, who's in sixth place at 216 after shooting a 71 Saturday. "I never thought that somebody in Springfield at 14 could be good enough to win this tournament."

Bernard, Bonar, Sine and Joe McGeean tee off in the final group at 9 a.m. today at Snyder Park.

Tough break

For the second straight year, eight-time City Am champion Dan Schuler suffered a bit of bad luck before the tournament. Last year, he cracked the face of his driver before the tournament, and the same thing happened this year.

Schuler ordered a new driver, but it didn't arrive in time.

"The driver I'm hitting now is just not the same," he said. " I hit a lot of bad drives today, and if you drive the ball bad out here, you're going to pay for it."

Schuler shot a 73 on Saturday and is at 2-over 218, 10 shots back of the leaders.

Third-round stats

• The stroke average for the round was 78.3 (38.9 on the front nine and 39.4 on the back nine).

• The toughest hole was the par-4 18th, which saw one birdie and a 4.7 stroke average. The par-5 9th was the easiest hole. It saw one eagle and 27 birdies and a 4.9 stroke average.

• Ten of the 91 players who finished the round shot par or better in the third round.

• Fifty players made the cut and will play in the final round. There was a playoff for the final three spots among the four players who shot 238: Cody Houseman, Scott Clevenger, T.J. McGeean and Anthony Perkins.

Perkins, McGeean and Clevenger emerged from the playoff to play another day.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0351 or djablonski@coxohio.com.