Twenty-five players are going to leave the Web.com Tour Championship today with tickets to play on the PGA Tour in 2013.
Tacoma native Michael Putnam wants to be one of them. To do that, he must finish in the top five today.
In Saturday’s third round at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, he shot a 4-under-par 67, despite making his only bogey on No. 18. His three-round total of 9-under 204 puts him in fourth place, three shots behind co-leaders James Hahn (64) and Justin Hicks (67) and one shot behind Justin Bolli (67).
“It was a good day but I’m not going to say it was a great day,” said Hahn, who won the Rex Hospital Open in June in Raleigh, N.C. “I was even on the par 5s. … It’s all about taking home a trophy. I believe it would be contagious and it would be nice to take home some hardware and just build on it.”
The winner will receive $180,000 from the $1 million purse.
“Tomorrow is my birthday,” said Hicks, who turns 38. “I’ve got my family out, so it’s a good week regardless.”
Bolli is looking to move up from 44th on the money list. This field includes the top 60.
Putnam came in 30th in money despite not getting serious about the developmental tour until July, after he failed to make the cut in four PGA Tour events while playing on a medical exemption because he injured his wrist in 2011.
The big hitter is averaging nearly 315 yards off the tee in Texas and is reaching more than 80 percent of the greens in regulation. He needs more than 30 putts per round.
Olympia’s Andres Gonzales, who came in 12th on the money list and is assured of advancing, shot a 72 and fell 19 shots off the pace.
CALC STILL HOT
Mark Calcavecchia shot a 3-under 69 to increase his lead to four strokes after the second round of the Champions Tour’s AT&T Championship in San Antonio.
Calcavecchia, three strokes ahead after the completion of the rain-delayed first round, had an 8-under 136 total on TPC San Antonio’s Canyons Course. The Montreal Championship winner in June, he had 26 putts — one-putting the final five greens and six of the last seven.
“I got away with one,” said Calcavecchia, the runner-up last year. “I didn’t play near as good as yesterday, for some reason. It was easier conditions than yesterday. I hit it a little bit crooked. To shoot 3 under, though, considering I didn’t hit it as near as good as yesterday, was really good.”
Kenny Perry was second after his second straight 70.
ELSEWHERE
Bo Van Pelt missed a chance for a 59 when he closed with a double bogey in the third round of the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is tied with Robert Garrigus for the lead at 16-under par, five shots ahead of Tiger Woods. … South Korea’s Inbee Park shot an 8-under 64 to take a two-shot lead through three rounds of the LPGA Taiwan Championship in Yang Mei, Taiwan. Tour money leader Park had two eagles and five birdies to reach 18-under 198 at the Sunrise Golf and Country Club. Norway’s Suzann Pettersen was second after a 66. Local favorite Yani Tseng (66) was four shots back at 14 under. … Sweden’s Peter Hanson (70) remained a shot ahead of Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy (69) after three rounds of the European Tour’s BMW Masters in Shanghai.
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