BRASIL CHAMPIONS REPORT AND SCOREBOARD
CURREN IS 23 UNDER PAR AND FOUR IN
FRONT IN WEB.COM TOUR EVENT
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
By Joe Chemycz, Web.com Tour staff
SAO PAULO, Brazil – Jon Curran kept his foot on the gas in Saturday’s third round of the Brasil Champions presented by HSBC and did his best to run away from any and all challengers. Curran’s 6-under 65 put him in the Web.com Tour record book (again) with an eye-popping 23-under 190 total, four in front of both Alex Cejka (63) and Ash Hall (65).
Oscar Fraustro (67) is the next closest at 15-under and eight shots back of the 27-year old who has led from the start and continues to keep everyone at arm’s length. Four others share fifth, nine back.
“I had never had a lead that big before so it was important to stay patient,” said Curran, who led by three after the weather-delayed first and second rounds were finally completed.
“There are a lot of birdies to be had and you can’t get ahead of yourself. You’ve just got to plod along.”
Curran stumbled out of the gate and missed a four-foot birdie putt on the opening hole but then canned birdie putts of that same length on the next two holes and let everyone know the rookie wasn’t going to fold his tent on a sun-splashed Saturday.
“I’ve been calm all week,” he said. “I’ve had that a few times in my career and this is one where I feel really calm and at ease. When my thoughts do get ahead I don’t get too nervous.”
Curran, a scoreboard watcher by nature, has kept his eyes away from the electronic boards and focused on the task at hand. When the veteran Cejka charged up the board with eight birdies in 13 holes and cut the lead to one, Curran hit the accelerator and countered with birdies at 13, 16 and 17 to re-establish his cushion.
“The times I’ve seen the boards this week it hasn’t bothered me,” said the Vanderbilt grad. “Sometimes you can see it and you can get a little nervous or a little jolt of energy but every time I’ve seen it this week it doesn’t really register, which is good and where I want to be mentally.”
It helps to be up by four with only two serious challengers standing between you and your first career win.
Cejka, a longtime member of the US PGA TOUR, finally broke the glass ceiling a few weeks ago by winning the season-opening Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship, which was also plagued by bad weather and eventually shortened to 54 holes.
“I’m still on a high from Colombia. I’ve heard it from other players that once you win, or secure a (TOUR) card, whatever that is, it gets your mind a little freer. We all care but you play with less pressure,” said Cejka, whose 63 was the low round of the day. “I knew I had to go low not to lose ground. I’m playing well and having fun.”
+Dornoch exile Jimmy Gunn did not complete his
weather-delayed second round on Saturday morning. He withdrew from the tournament, having shot a 79 in the first round, giving him no chance of making the cut which eventually fell at four-under-par for 36 holes.
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
FRONT IN WEB.COM TOUR EVENT
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
By Joe Chemycz, Web.com Tour staff
SAO PAULO, Brazil – Jon Curran kept his foot on the gas in Saturday’s third round of the Brasil Champions presented by HSBC and did his best to run away from any and all challengers. Curran’s 6-under 65 put him in the Web.com Tour record book (again) with an eye-popping 23-under 190 total, four in front of both Alex Cejka (63) and Ash Hall (65).
Oscar Fraustro (67) is the next closest at 15-under and eight shots back of the 27-year old who has led from the start and continues to keep everyone at arm’s length. Four others share fifth, nine back.
“I had never had a lead that big before so it was important to stay patient,” said Curran, who led by three after the weather-delayed first and second rounds were finally completed.
“There are a lot of birdies to be had and you can’t get ahead of yourself. You’ve just got to plod along.”
Curran stumbled out of the gate and missed a four-foot birdie putt on the opening hole but then canned birdie putts of that same length on the next two holes and let everyone know the rookie wasn’t going to fold his tent on a sun-splashed Saturday.
“I’ve been calm all week,” he said. “I’ve had that a few times in my career and this is one where I feel really calm and at ease. When my thoughts do get ahead I don’t get too nervous.”
Curran, a scoreboard watcher by nature, has kept his eyes away from the electronic boards and focused on the task at hand. When the veteran Cejka charged up the board with eight birdies in 13 holes and cut the lead to one, Curran hit the accelerator and countered with birdies at 13, 16 and 17 to re-establish his cushion.
“The times I’ve seen the boards this week it hasn’t bothered me,” said the Vanderbilt grad. “Sometimes you can see it and you can get a little nervous or a little jolt of energy but every time I’ve seen it this week it doesn’t really register, which is good and where I want to be mentally.”
It helps to be up by four with only two serious challengers standing between you and your first career win.
Cejka, a longtime member of the US PGA TOUR, finally broke the glass ceiling a few weeks ago by winning the season-opening Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship, which was also plagued by bad weather and eventually shortened to 54 holes.
“I’m still on a high from Colombia. I’ve heard it from other players that once you win, or secure a (TOUR) card, whatever that is, it gets your mind a little freer. We all care but you play with less pressure,” said Cejka, whose 63 was the low round of the day. “I knew I had to go low not to lose ground. I’m playing well and having fun.”
+Dornoch exile Jimmy Gunn did not complete his
weather-delayed second round on Saturday morning. He withdrew from the tournament, having shot a 79 in the first round, giving him no chance of making the cut which eventually fell at four-under-par for 36 holes.
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
Labels: NATIONWIDE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, March 16, 2014
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