Casey’s 62 gives him big lead at Travelers
Paul Casey has come close each of the three previous times he has played in Connecticut. He has a great chance to break through Sunday in the Travelers Championship.
Casey shot an 8-under 62 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead into the final round.
Casey, whose win at Valspar in Florida in March was his first PGA Tour title in nine years, called the bogey-free round at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. his best of the year.
The Englishman had six birdies and an eagle – at the signature par-4 15th hole – where he hit his tee shot onto the green and then sank a 23foot putt. He broke out of the pack hitting all 18 greens and has a streak of 23 straight heading into Sunday. He was at 16-under 194.
“It was clinical,” he said. “I did everything I wanted to do. I can’t do any more than that.”
Casey was second here during his first visit in 2015, came in 17th a year later and had a fifth-place finish in Cromwell a year ago.
“I love this golf course,” he said. Russell Henley was 12 under after a 67,and J.B. Holmes (65), Anirban Lahiri (65) and third-round leader Brain Harman (69) were 11 under.
“I think I can shoot a low number on this course,” Henley said. “You’ve got to make the putts. I’m definitely hitting it well enough, and if I can get a couple putts to fall, that would be good. But I can’t control what (Casey) is doing. I can just try to keep playing solid.”
Jason Day shot 66, and Bubba Watson 67, leaving them 10 under. Watson came from six back to the 2010 event and beat Casey in a playoff in 2015.
Watson would join Billy Casper as the only players to win this tournament more than twice. Casper won his fourth Connecticut title in 1973.
“I’m hoping the weather is real sunny when I’m teeing off and as soon as I putt out it gets windy and a little be of rain and gives me a better shot at it,” he said.
Morning rain and drizzle throughout the day kept the greens soft, but nobody was able to stay with Casey.
The shot of the day came from James Hahn, who aced the 154-yard 11th hole. Hahn’s tee shot went over the greenside bunker on the right front of the hole, struck the bottom of the flag pole and went into the hole, which required some repair work to the front lip after taking the hit.
LPGA: Minjee Lee and Nasa Hataoka each shot 6-under 65 to share the second-round lead in the NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Ark.
Lee, the Volvik Championship last month in Michigan, bogeyed her final hole to drop into a tie with the 19-yearold Japanese player at 13-under 129. The 22-year-old Australian is ranked ninth in the world and in search of her fifth career victory.
Third-ranked Lexi Thompson matched the low round of the day with a 64 to get to 11 under.