back to list ]Moving Day Results in Packed Leaderboard at Deutsche Bank Championship - September 6th
Posted by Jim Connelly (09/06/2009 08:00PM )NORTON, Mass. – In downtown Boston this Labor Day Weekend, thousands of college students are moving into the college dorms. Just down the road in Norton, Mass., there was just as much moving, though of a different sort.
In the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship, blustery winds changed the TPC Boston course from a low-scoring golfer’s delight to a bear of an 18-hole test creating plenty of movement at the top of the Leaderboard. Heading into Monday’s final round, the trio of Steve Stricker, Retief Goosen and Sean O’Hair share the lead at 13-under-par while 16 players are within four shots of the leaders.
Stricker, who held the lead after the opening round but fired a 1-over-par 72 in Saturday’s second round to fall, fired seven birdies and closed with a dramatic eagle at the par-5 18th to shoot 6-under-par 65, the low round of the day.
On Sunday, Stricker was paired with Jerry Kelly, who shot a 67 and sits two shots back. According to Stricker, the pair fed off one another’s success on the course.
“We both got off to good starts and [Kelly] maintained that strong play all the way through,” said Stricker. “We were pulling each other along there, and it was a lot of fun.”
The round certainly became more fun for Stricker over the closing holes. After falling back to 10-under with a bogey on 14, Stricker sunk a 7-foot birdie on 15 and then nearly aced the par-3 16th, knocking his tee shot to 20 inches. After a bogey on 17 when he misjudged the wind and put his approach short, Stricker got the ultimate bounce on the par-5 18th.
Sitting 237 yards away in the fairway, Stricker blasted a utility club for his second shot that looked to be heading for the hazard short of the green. It had just enough juice to cross the hazard and kick forward, settling just five feet from the pin.
“I was at the very max of hitting that utility club,” said Stricker. “I usually hit that 223, 230 and we have 230 to the front and 237 to the hole. The only thing I had going for me is I had a little bit of a downhill lie that would keep the ball low [and out of the wind].
“I hit it solid and it landed, I don’t know, three, four paces short and just got up there very nicely.”
Stricker buried the putt to move to 13-under, only to have Goosen make birdies at 12 and 16 and O’Hair a birdie on 18 to match that score.
Stricker will be paired with Goosen, who fired a 3-under-par 68 on Sunday, in Monday’s final round. O’Hair will be a group behind paired with Kevin Na, who shot a 66 on Sunday and sits in a three-way tie with Padraig Harrington and Scott Verplank one shot in back of the leaders.
While the crowd at the top of the Leaderboard contains plenty of impressive names, the one that is missing is world number one, Tiger Woods. After a 1-over-par 72 on Sunday, Woods sits nine shots back at 4-under-par.
“It’s nice to see there are a lot of other guys up there that are playing really well,” said Goosen. “I think it’s still going to be a good fight out there tomorrow for the title.”
Weather forecasts for Monday call from significantly less wind, which will return conditions to what players experience over the first two rounds – optimal for low scores.
“You know, a lot of good players at the top, so I don’t expect guys like Stricker and Harrington and Goosen to fall backwards,” said O’Hair, whose 1-under-par 70 was good enough to maintain a share of the lead. “I don’t know how low you have to go but you’re still going to have to have a nice round of golf.”
