Williams takes over first
There has been a shift atop the leaderboard heading into the final day of the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open. One day after breaking the tournament course record with a round of 61, Zach Wright shot a third-round 73 under cloudy skies Saturday afternoon at the Paradise Canyon Golf Resort.
That opened the door for a few other golfers to make a move as Chris Williams shot 65 Saturday to overtake Wright by three strokes at 20-under heading into the final round today.
Also making a move up the leaderboard was T.T. Crouch, who shot a solid five-under 66 to move into a tie for second place at 17-under with Wright.
“Today was playing tougher than the first two days,” said Crouch, the 26-year-old from Mount Vernon, Ohio who jumped six spots up the leaderboard after Saturday’s round. “I just told myself to stay patient all day and just hit as many greens as I possibly can and try to make birdies.”
He did that nicely on the front nine Saturday with birdies on the fourth, seventh and ninth holes for a frontnine 33.
He added two more birdies on the back nine while remaining bogey free to move two shots out of first place heading into today.
“I got off to a slow start and made a nice birdie putt on number seven and that kind of jump started my round. I got comfortable out there, I started rolling the putts in making birdies,” said Crouch. “I’m really rolling the rock pretty well right now. I’ve got a new putter. I’ve been struggling around the greens lately and this week I’m putting really well. If I can just hit greens and hit it semi-close I feel like I can make a lot of birdies this week.”
Meanwhile, a bogey on the first hole kicked off Wright’s round Saturday.
He made birdie on nine to finish the front nine at even.
He added another birdie on 11 to go one-under, but a bogey on the 12th hole brought him back to even.
After another bogey on 14, Wright found water on the par3 17th to finish the day at three-over.
“It felt like every hole was into and off the left, especially five of the first six, it was just uncomfortable for me and I didn’t get into a good rhythm. Every drive that was close ended up falling to the bad side today. There’s still a lot of golf left, we’ll just regroup, I’m only a few back, so we’re fine.
“If you would’ve told me I was in the mix going into Sunday I would’ve taken it.”
Williams put up three birdies on the front nine and kept up the pace on the back nine with three more on the 13th and 15th holes before wrapping up the round with another on 18 for a 32 on the back nine and a three-shot lead heading into today.
“I try not to change much from day-to-day, there’s no reason to change what I’m doing right now, it seems to be working and I’m comfortable on this course,” said Williams. “The greens are good, and you can make putts. You don’t feel like you have to go at every pin because you can make a 20 or 25-footer here and there.”
Crouch was taking the same stay-the-course mentality into today.
“Nothing different,” he said. “Play the par fives well and play the par three’s even or better, which would be great out here and see what happens.”
Crouch was taking the same stay-the-course mentality into today.
“Nothing different,” he said. “Play the par fives well and play the par three’s even or better, which would be great out here and see what happens.”
Matt Marshall has sole possession of fourth place at 16-under, while Evan Bowser is one shot back at 15-under.
After rounds of 66 and 70 on Thursday and Friday, Canadian Daniel Pow rattled off five straight birdies to finish with a 63 Saturday to rocket 53 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for sixth at 14-under.
The field of nine players at 14-under includes fellow Canadian Michael Gligic, who shot 71 Saturday.
Today’s tee off times start at 7:30 a.m. with the final groups going out at 12:30 p.m.
Williams and Crouch make up the group, while Wright and Marshall make up the second-last group.
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