Don't let the colours fool you. Ben Curtis may be wearing Steelers black and gold this weekend _ something he probably can't believe he's doing _ but he's the biggest of Cleveland Browns fans.

Maybe that's why winning the 84 Lumber Classic would be extra special for Curtis, even though he's already won this year on the PGA Tour. After all, he can do something the Browns rarely do by winning in Steelers country.

Curtis, trying to win a lame-duck tournament for the second time this summer, played his third consecutive excellent round Saturday on a day the leaderboard never stayed the same for five minutes to share the third-round lead with Charles Howell III.

Howell, experiencing a mostly terrible year in which he has changed his swing and his coach, had a 4-under 68 to match Curtis at 12-under 204 for the tournament. Curtis had his second consecutive 69 after starting the tournament with a 66.

Curtis, who has worn a Steelers shirt and cap for three consecutive days to fulfill an endorsement contract, kept his share of the lead by sinking a tough nine-footer for par on the par-3 17th. He had a chance to take the sole lead, but pushed a 13-footer for birdie wide left on the par-4 18th.

Howell, who has won nearly $12 million on the PGA Tour but is only No. 81 on the money list this year, picked up four strokes in three holes with the best run of the day. After consecutive bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 dropped him to 8 under, he birdied Nos. 14 and 15 and dropped a long putt for an eagle 3 on No. 16.

``I hung in there and I have a chance to win,'' said Howell, who hasn't finished in the top 30 since a tie for second at New Orleans in April. ``I've been through my share of swing changes, and I've had an iffy year.''

Curiously, Howell is contending for his first PGA Tour victory since the 2002 Michelob Championship at a resort, Nemacolin Woodlands, where a golf academy is named for renowned swing coach David Leadbetter. Howell parted ways with Leadbetter before undergoing his latest swing change.

One-quarter of the 81 golfers left have a realistic chance Sunday of taking a run at the 84 Lumber's fourth and final championship.

Ian Leggatt of Cambridge, Ont., and Jon Mills of Oshawa, Ont., were the only Canadians who entered, and both missed the cut to advance to weekend play.

The tournament was supposed to move to a more coveted spot on the PGA Tour calendar in June next year, but unexpectedly decided to drop off the schedule, opening a slot for a Connecticut tournament.

That's why Curtis has the chance to become the reigning champion for the foreseeable future for not one but two championships. He won the last Booz Allen Classic in late June by leading from the first round to the last, sleeping on the lead for five nights during a rain-delayed tournament that didn't end until a Tuesday.