American John Rollins carded an eight-under-par 63 and is among five players tied for the lead after Sunday’s third round of the $5,5-million PGA Deutsche Bank Championship.
Sweden’s Carl Pettersson, Jason Bohn, Billy Andrade and Olin Browne are tied with Rollins at 10-under 203. Kent Jones and Joey Sindelar are one shot back.
Thanks to a course-record 28 on the back nine that included a closing eagle, Rollins leads a group of four players as he looks to win for the first time since the 2002 Canadian Open.
”I played good, got out of the gate quick, [and] kind of stumbled a little bit on the front,” Rollins said. ”But I actually joked with my caddie at the turn and told him that he was going to see the best 29 on the back nine, and I ended up shooting 28.”
Tied for 56th entering Sunday, Rollins drained a birdie at number nine that started a run of three in a row. Birdies at 13, 15 and 17 followed, and an eagle at the par-five 18th put Rollins in the clubhouse at 10-under.
”I putted better than I did the first couple of days. I’ve been hitting the ball pretty good and today I just managed to keep my ball on the right side,” Rollins said. ”I managed to hole more than I have the first two days. Then you chip in out of a bunker to get two shots, so if I had to pinpoint one thing, it’s really been the putter today more than anything else.”
Bohn shot a 67 and Pettersson a 68, while Andrade carded a 69 and Browne a 70 to each grab a share of the lead.
Jones also signed for a bogey-free 63 that included eight birdies, while Sindelar carded a 69.
”I was just lucky to be here after Friday. [I] scrambled to par the last and I was lucky to be here,” Jones said. ”I was struggling the first two days and putted great, and then all of the sudden today hit it a lot better.
”Something clicked in my rhythm, I think a little something with my takeaway. My rhythm was really good today. I wish I knew why.”
Jeff Brehaut and Browne entered Sunday’s third round tied with a one-stroke lead. Brehaut finished with a one-over 72 and is in a group of four tied for eighth at eight-under 205.
Tiger Woods had a one-shot lead after Friday’s first round but has struggled since and was unable to turn things around on Sunday. The world number one shot a one-over 72 that included a double-bogey at the par-four fifth and two bogeys, leaving him at 210.
After opening with a bogey-free 65 that included six birdies, Woods has just five birdies against six bogeys in his last 36 holes. He is the only top-10 player in the field.
Last year, Woods saw his streak of 264 weeks at number one come to an end here as Vijay Singh fired four rounds in the 60s en route to a three-stroke victory over Woods and Adam Scott.
With Woods struggling and the rest of the top 10 not entered, the $990 000 first prize is up for grabs among players who have not tasted victory often or recently. — Sapa-AFP