RENO, Nev. — Honolulu's Parker McLachlin made a 9-foot eagle putt as part of a 6-under 66 yesterday to set a course record for 54 holes and take a six-stroke lead into the final round of the $3 million Legends Reno-Tahoe Open.

"It's nice to have control of my golf ball and it's a fun feeling because this game, it can beat you down so much," said McLachlin, a Punahou School and UCLA alum. "To have that feeling of control, whether it's for one week or a couple weeks out of the entire year. ... I am just having a lot fun just playing golf right now."

The second year PGA Tour pro also had five birdies and a bogey for a record three-round total of 20-under 196 at the 7,472-yard Montreux Golf & Country Club.

"It's something to be proud of, but it's not a 54-hole tournament. That's not what I'm here for," said McLachlin, who has won on the Hooters Tour, Tight Lies Tour, Gateway Tour and Spanos Tour, but not the PGA Tour.

Brian Davis, who eagled the 616-yard ninth when he drove the ball 342 yards then hit his second shot 266 yards to within 6 feet of the pin, shot a 68 on his 34th birthday to move into second place at 14-under 202.

Davis, who has won twice on the European Tour, said even the closest challengers face an uphill battle.

"It's weird because most weeks on tour there's probably 20 guys or 10 guys who can win on the last day," Davis said. "But obviously if Parker is 20 under, John Rollins has to shoot 10-under if Parker is even par. So it does put a stretch on everyone, including me.

"But Parker's never won before so you never know, he might shoot a couple over," Davis added. "And around this golf course anything can happen."

Last year on the Nationwide Tour, McLachlin led the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic by seven strokes entering the final round, but shot a 77 on Sunday to finish tied for fourth.

"You know I learned a ton from that day," McLachlin said. "It was my first time having a lead and I didn't really approach it the right way.

"That one, I looked past the finish line too early and this one I'm looking forward to the first shot on the first hole tomorrow, and that's as far as I'm going to go."

Yesterday, McLachlin eagled the par-4 fifth after his 344-yard drive rolled onto the green. He had a chance to eagle the previous hole — a 518-yard par 5 — when he hit his second shot 200 yards to 6 feet of the pin, but rolled his putt a foot past the hole.

McLachlin, who has five top-25 finishes this year including a tie for fifth at the AT&T Classic, also made a 28-foot birdie putt on the par-5 ninth.

He closed with a 13-foot birdie putt on the 18th to break the three-round course record of 197 that Will MacKenzie and Bob Estes set in 2006.

"I need to go and play a good, solid round tomorrow and then we will talk about the end of the tournament," said McLachlin, who is ranked 98th on the tour money list with $740,940. The tournament's first-place check is $540,000.