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Watson clings on to 1-stroke lead
Source: Agencies |
September 6, 2011, Tuesday
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BUBBA Watson regained his composure after dropping three shots on the back nine holes to grab a one stroke lead after the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Massachusetts, on Sunday.
The American made a birdie at the penultimate hole for a round of one-under-par 70 after losing his advantage with three bogeys between the 11th and 15th holes.
He finished the day on 11-under-par, one stroke clear of a group of five players, the two Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott, and three Americans, Jerry Kelly, Brendan Steele and Chez Reavie.
"It's kind of like a box of chocolates. You never really know what you're going to get," Kelly said. "If we don't get any of that rain tomorrow, hopefully we don't, because I need the fairways to roll."
Britain's Luke Donald, the world's No. 1 ranked player, and South Africa's Charl Schwartzel, the Masters champion, were among another bunch of five players at nine-under on a tightly congested leaderboard.
Watson, chasing his third win on the PGA Tour this season, threatened to open up a bigger lead when he made his fourth birdie of the day on the 10th hole to reach 13-under par, before he came unstuck.
He salvaged a birdie at the 17th to regain the outright lead but missed another opportunity when he only parred the par-5 18th as the chasers started closing on.
"It started out with a bad shot on one and a quick bogey but I held it together," Watson said. "I fought down the stretch and I'm one up going into the last day so I have a good shot at it."
Scott, who shared the overnight lead with Watson and Schwartzel, birdied the last for a round of 71 while Day, who finished tied with his countryman in second place at Augusta in April, birdied the last two and made an eagle at the second in a round of 67.
"It was hard to get the ball really close today, the greens were a little bit firmer," Scott said.
"But I'm playing well, hitting the ball well. If I can do that tomorrow I should give myself a chance."
American Phil Mickelson carded the best round of the day, making six birdies and an eagle for a 63, to finish as one of two dozen players within four shots of the lead.
"It was a good ball-striking round, one of the best I've had," Mickelson said.
The tournament is the second leg of the season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs.
The American made a birdie at the penultimate hole for a round of one-under-par 70 after losing his advantage with three bogeys between the 11th and 15th holes.
He finished the day on 11-under-par, one stroke clear of a group of five players, the two Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott, and three Americans, Jerry Kelly, Brendan Steele and Chez Reavie.
"It's kind of like a box of chocolates. You never really know what you're going to get," Kelly said. "If we don't get any of that rain tomorrow, hopefully we don't, because I need the fairways to roll."
Britain's Luke Donald, the world's No. 1 ranked player, and South Africa's Charl Schwartzel, the Masters champion, were among another bunch of five players at nine-under on a tightly congested leaderboard.
Watson, chasing his third win on the PGA Tour this season, threatened to open up a bigger lead when he made his fourth birdie of the day on the 10th hole to reach 13-under par, before he came unstuck.
He salvaged a birdie at the 17th to regain the outright lead but missed another opportunity when he only parred the par-5 18th as the chasers started closing on.
"It started out with a bad shot on one and a quick bogey but I held it together," Watson said. "I fought down the stretch and I'm one up going into the last day so I have a good shot at it."
Scott, who shared the overnight lead with Watson and Schwartzel, birdied the last for a round of 71 while Day, who finished tied with his countryman in second place at Augusta in April, birdied the last two and made an eagle at the second in a round of 67.
"It was hard to get the ball really close today, the greens were a little bit firmer," Scott said.
"But I'm playing well, hitting the ball well. If I can do that tomorrow I should give myself a chance."
American Phil Mickelson carded the best round of the day, making six birdies and an eagle for a 63, to finish as one of two dozen players within four shots of the lead.
"It was a good ball-striking round, one of the best I've had," Mickelson said.
The tournament is the second leg of the season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs.
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