Brandt Snedeker ran off four straight birdies along the prettiest part of Pebble Beach Golf Links for a 4-under-par 68 — his ninth straight round in the 60s — giving him a share of the lead with rookie James Hahn going into the final round of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
“You never know what tomorrow holds, but I feel like I’m in great position, and I’m going to be surely more prepared, no matter who is around me in the last group,” said Snedeker, a runner-up in consecutive weeks to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. “I’m probably going to have the most experience of anybody in those last couple groups of winning a golf tournament.”
Hahn had a 66 at Spyglass Hill, making birdie on the last three holes to join Snedeker at 12-under 202. Chris Kirk birdied his last hole at Monterey Peninsula for a 64 and was one shot behind the leaders.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson, looking for a record-tying fifth win at Pebble Beach, hit two shots into the Pacific Ocean at the par-5 18th and had to scramble for a triple bogey, leaving him 11 shots behind
MEDIATE CLOSING IN
Rocco Mediate shot an 11-under 61, setting a course record and building a three-shot lead over Tom Pernice Jr. heading into the final round of the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla.
Mediate is trying to become the 16th player to win his first start on the Champions Tour.
It was the lowest round of Mediate’s career, one better than his 62 at Colonial in 2001, and it snapped the tournament record of 63 set by Craig Stadler in 2007. Mediate’s total of 128 through two rounds was three better than the 36-hole mark of 131 shared by Tim Simpson and Tommy Armour III.
ELSEWHERE
South African duo Richard Sterne and Trevor Fisher Jr. each shot a 4-under 68 to move five shots ahead of the field at the Joburg Open in Johannesburg. … Top-ranked amateur Lydia Ko won the New Zealand Women’s Open early today in Christchurch. The 15-year-old parred the final hole to finish at 10 under – one shot ahead of American Amelia Lewis, who three-putted from 25 feet for bogey on her 18th hole.
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