Pair of non-winners tied atop Travelers
River Highlands has been the sight of the first PGA Tour victory for four of its last six tournament champions.
Roland Thatcher and Englishman Brian Davis would like to make it five of seven.
Davis shot a 6-under 64, and Thatcher had a 65 on Saturday to share the third-round lead in the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn., at 12 under.
Davis said he’s not sure why this tournament, which comes a week after the U.S. Open, has been so good to relative unknowns.
“Obviously, some of the big players aren’t here, but there is still a really good field here,” Davis said. “It’s just one of them things. I’ve had a couple of weeks off, maybe I’m not as tired as the other guys. But, I’ll take my win anywhere. I don’t care where it is.”
Davis made an early move, shooting a 29 on the front nine with six birdies.
Thatcher overtook him with three straight birdies on the back nine and had a one-stroke lead before missing a 7-foot par putt on the 17th hole.
“I executed just really well in that stretch,” Thatcher said. “It’s easy to say they’re easy holes, and that’s what you should do, but you still have to execute.”
Seventeen other players were within five strokes of the lead entering the final round.
John Rollins, James Driscoll and Stuart Appleby were two strokes back. Defending champion Fredrik Jacobson, who led after two rounds, shot an even-par 70 and was in a group of five others at 9-under par. Masters champion Bubba Watson, the 2010 winner, was 8 under after a 65. U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson had a 68 to reach 7 under.
GONZALES CLOSE
Olympia’s Andres Gonzales shot an even-par 71, settling into a group of eight at 8-under 205 – seven shots behind third-round leader Jim Herman at the Nationwide Tour’s Wichita Open.
Herman had his third straight round in the 60s with a 3-under 68 that left him at 15-under 198.
S. KOREAN ON TOP
South Korea’s Inbee Park shot a 5-under 66 to take a two-stroke lead after the third round of the inaugural Manulife Financial LPGA Classic in Waterloo, Ontario.
Park had a 14-under 199 total – two shots better than Brittany Lang and Hee Kyung Seo, who shot 67s.
TWAY LEADS BY 1
Bob Tway’s 7-under 65 left him with a one-stroke lead over Mark Calcavecchia (67) after the second round of the Champions Tour’s Montreal Championship in Sainte-Julie, Quebec. Winless on the 50-and-over tour, Tway was at 9-under 135
ELSEWHERE
Kyung Kim won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links in Neshanic Station, N.J., beating Ashlan Ramsey, 4 and 2, in the 36-hole final. Kim, 18, took a 2-up lead with a birdie on the 32nd hole, won the 33rd with another birdie and took the 34th with a par to close out the 16-year-old Ramsey. … England’s Danny Willett shot a 3-under 69 for a one-stroke lead after the third round of the BMW International Open in Pulheim, Germany.
