SHELL HOUSTON OPEN REPORT AND SCORES
- IN-FORM KUCHAR LEADS BY FOUR STROKES WITH A ROUND TO GO
- FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
- By Sean Martin, PGATOUR.COM
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Matt Kuchar's last victory came at last season's Memorial Tournament. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
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HUMBLE, Texas -- Matt Kuchar’s steady play continues in Texas. He’ll play in Sunday’s final group for the second consecutive week in the Lone Star State.
Kuchar will start the Shell Houston Open’s final round with a four-shot lead over Sergio Garcia and Cameron Tringale. Kuchar shot a 4-under 68 at the Golf Club of Houston on Saturday and is at 15-under 201 (66-67-68). Tringale fired a 69, while Garcia, the 36-hole leader, fired a 73 on Saturday.
Kuchar finished fourth at last week’s Valero Texas Open after being tied for the lead with nine holes remaining.
“It’s a nice position to have played well last week, to have been in the last group with a chance to win, and to come back this week, completely different course, and have another shot to win,” Kuchar said.
He missed just one green Saturday and has hit 48 of 54 greens this week. He’s made just three bogeys in three rounds; two of those bogeys came Saturday, at Nos. 9 and 18. His lead could have been larger if not for a three-putt from 40 feet on Saturday’s final hole.
“It’s a bummer to three-putt the last one,” Kuchar said. “My speed got a little off there. … but all in all putted well. I’m not at all disappointed with the way I putted or the way I played. I’m pretty pleased.”
HUMBLE, Texas -- Matt Kuchar’s steady play continues in Texas. He’ll play in Sunday’s final group for the second consecutive week in the Lone Star State.
Kuchar will start the Shell Houston Open’s final round with a four-shot lead over Sergio Garcia and Cameron Tringale. Kuchar shot a 4-under 68 at the Golf Club of Houston on Saturday and is at 15-under 201 (66-67-68). Tringale fired a 69, while Garcia, the 36-hole leader, fired a 73 on Saturday.
Kuchar finished fourth at last week’s Valero Texas Open after being tied for the lead with nine holes remaining.
“It’s a nice position to have played well last week, to have been in the last group with a chance to win, and to come back this week, completely different course, and have another shot to win,” Kuchar said.
He missed just one green Saturday and has hit 48 of 54 greens this week. He’s made just three bogeys in three rounds; two of those bogeys came Saturday, at Nos. 9 and 18. His lead could have been larger if not for a three-putt from 40 feet on Saturday’s final hole.
“It’s a bummer to three-putt the last one,” Kuchar said. “My speed got a little off there. … but all in all putted well. I’m not at all disappointed with the way I putted or the way I played. I’m pretty pleased.”
QUITE A TRIP: Tringale was on his recruiting trip at Georgia Tech when he first met Kuchar, who played college golf for the Yellow Jackets.
“He and his wife had just gotten done taking a run around the campus and were going into the golf office to see coach,” Tringale said. “It was pretty cool for a little 16-year-old kid.”
Tringale is seeking his first PGA TOUR victory. He has vacation planned in Hawaii with his family next week, but those plans could change. A victory would earn him an invitation to next week’s Masters.
“Hopefully I’ll have a good round tomorrow and maybe ‘ixnay’ those plans,” he said.
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INTERVIEW
Sergio Garcia talks about his 73
FALLING BACK: Garcia started Saturday with a one-shot lead,
but managed just two birdies Saturday en route to a 73. He made 11
birdies and an eagle in the first two rounds.
Garcia had more than 3.0 strokes gained-putting in each of the first two rounds, but gained just 0.459 on Saturday. He’s still second in the field in that statistic, though.
He hit 13 greens Saturday; he’s hit 13 greens in each of the first three rounds. He also hit 10 of 14 fairways.
Garcia had more than 3.0 strokes gained-putting in each of the first two rounds, but gained just 0.459 on Saturday. He’s still second in the field in that statistic, though.
He hit 13 greens Saturday; he’s hit 13 greens in each of the first three rounds. He also hit 10 of 14 fairways.
MISSING PIECES: Phil Mickelson will start the final round of
the Shell Houston Open in sixth place, nine shots off the lead. He shot
an even-par 72 and is at 6-under 210.
“I feel like I putted really well,” Mickelson said. “I felt really good with the putter. The ball-striking that was there the first two days kind of fell out and I had a tougher time putting them all together. I don’t know if I’ll have a good round tomorrow or not, but it’s close, a lot closer than it’s been.”
Rory McIlroy will start the final round in 37th place after shooting a 74 on Sunday.
“Another uneventful day,” McIlroy said. “I just haven’t really been able to get anything going this week. I feel like I’m playing well, like it’s all pretty much there, just something needs to get going. I’m driving the ball well, iron play feels good, short game feels pretty good. I putted much better today than I did the previous two days. I need a little spark to get me going.
“It’s nice that, just to get a week of competitive play, if there’s any sort of rust or if there’s anything you feel like you need to work on going into next week, it’s good to get it all out of the system this week.
THIRD ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72) Players from USA unless stated
201 Mattt Kuchar 66 67 68
205 Cameron Tringale 68 68 69, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 67 65 73
207 Matt Jones (Australia) 68 68 71
208 Rickie Rowler 70 70 68, Ben Curtis 67 70 71
SELECTED SCORES
210 Phil Mickelson 68 70 72 (T8)
213 Luke Donald (England) 71 71 71, Lee Westwood (England) 70 72 71 (T23)
215 Rory McIlroy (N Irlnad) 70 71 74 (T37)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
“I feel like I putted really well,” Mickelson said. “I felt really good with the putter. The ball-striking that was there the first two days kind of fell out and I had a tougher time putting them all together. I don’t know if I’ll have a good round tomorrow or not, but it’s close, a lot closer than it’s been.”
Rory McIlroy will start the final round in 37th place after shooting a 74 on Sunday.
“Another uneventful day,” McIlroy said. “I just haven’t really been able to get anything going this week. I feel like I’m playing well, like it’s all pretty much there, just something needs to get going. I’m driving the ball well, iron play feels good, short game feels pretty good. I putted much better today than I did the previous two days. I need a little spark to get me going.
“It’s nice that, just to get a week of competitive play, if there’s any sort of rust or if there’s anything you feel like you need to work on going into next week, it’s good to get it all out of the system this week.
THIRD ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72) Players from USA unless stated
201 Mattt Kuchar 66 67 68
205 Cameron Tringale 68 68 69, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 67 65 73
207 Matt Jones (Australia) 68 68 71
208 Rickie Rowler 70 70 68, Ben Curtis 67 70 71
SELECTED SCORES
210 Phil Mickelson 68 70 72 (T8)
213 Luke Donald (England) 71 71 71, Lee Westwood (England) 70 72 71 (T23)
215 Rory McIlroy (N Irlnad) 70 71 74 (T37)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, April 06, 2014
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