Farmington • Three weeks ago, Nicholas Mason was striking the ball so poorly he seriously considered another job other than golf. His last big victory was two years ago at the Nebraska Open.

"I told my buddies, 'I'll go work for Subway,'" said the pro from Denver.

Instead, Mason went back to basics and a swing coach. The result can be seen in his two-day total of 11-under par, good enough for a five-stroke lead entering today's final round of the Utah Open Championship at Oakridge Country Club.

Mason, despite stiff and gusty winds Saturday that caused problems even on the greens, birdied four of the five final holes. At stake is the $20,000 first-place check.

"I'll play the exact same way," said Mason of his plan for today. "I'm not going to back off."

Chasing Mason are a host of golfers at 6- and 5-under par, including the lone amateur in the top 10, Cameron Crawford of Sandy. Crawford, the first-round leader, managed even-par 72 on Saturday. Derek Tolan, of Centennial, Colo., also finished 6-under par.

Three more players were a shot back at 4 under. Only three golfers managed a score of 70. The leaders tee off at noon today.

"[The wind] made club selection a lot more difficult," said Crawford, who qualified earlier this month for the U.S. Amateur Golf Tournament. "It was hard to get it close. It made putting a little testy."

Getting close wasn't a problem for Mason. Down the stretch he successfully dropped putts of eight feet at 14, six feet at 15, three feet at 16 and a tap-in on 17 when a wedge lipped out of the cup.

"Oh my God, it was a war," said Mason.

Even Mason's caddie was shocked at the powerful finish.

"He said, 'I didn't think you could make that kind of run,'" Mason said. "It was shocking to me. We just hung in there [early]. You had to hit it flush to cut through the wind."

martyr@sltrib.com —

Highlights

P Nicholas Mason of Denver birdies four of the five final holes to open a 5-shot lead in the Utah Open.

• Cameron Crawford of Sandy is the lone amateur in the top 10.

• James Blair (Ogden), Jerry Sneve (San Marcos, Calif.) and Bob Casper (Salt Lake City) finished in the top three of the Senior Sidebar.