Petrovic fires 61 for share of lead in Boca Raton
Tim Petrovic birdied the final two holes for an 11-under 61 and a share of the lead with Jim Furyk after a 36-hole Saturday in the TimberTech Championship in Boca Raton.
Furyk closed with a birdie for a 64 to match Petrovic at 14-under 130 at The Old Course at Broken Sound, a day after five inches of rain wiped out play in the second of three PGA Tour Champions playoff events for the Charles Schwab Cup.
The 55-year-old Petrovic is winless on the 50and-over tour, winning the 2005 Zurich Classic of New Orleans for his lone PGA Tour title.
“I decided I was going to hit a few fairways in the afternoon,” Petrovic said. “It didn’t start out so good this morning. I had the lefts going this morning. I think I hit it in the water on 10 to start the round and just made a great bogey, which felt like a birdie. I could have made a double there very easy.”
Furyk won the U.S. Senior Open in July for his third Champions victory.
“I think I did a good job of getting the ball in the hole and scoring,” Furyk said. “I hit my irons very well, short game was good, I made a bunch of putts out there. And the reads are tricky.”
Steven Alker was a stroke back after a 63.
The New Zealander made it to the second postseason event after having to
Monday qualify for his first PGA Tour Champions tournament just over two months ago.
The top 54 players in the Charles Schwab Cup qualified for the event, and the top 36 after the TimberTech Championship will advance to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship next week in Phoenix.
Ernie Els was 11 under after a 66 in a group with Furyk and Charles Schwab Cup leader Bernhard Langer, who shot 69.
PGA TOUR
Viktor Hovland was hitting it so well he had no trouble taking on a big risk, and it paid off Saturday with a big finish for a 9-under 62 and a twoshot lead in the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.
Hovland, the defending champion at this Mexican resort, hit driver just over the green on the par-4 17th and hit a dart into the closing hole at El Cameleon for the lowest score of his PGA Tour career.
That gave him a twoshot lead over fellow Oklahoma State alum Talor Gooch (63), and he was three clear of Justin Thomas (64).
EUROPEAN TOUR
Thomas Pieters and Matthieu Pavon will enter the final round of the Portugal Masters sharing a four-shot lead after the pair shot 65s on Saturday.