I’m coming to get you!
Perez in prime position to clinch CIMB Classic crown
PAT Perez has been competing on the US PGA Tour since 2002 but has found victories hard to come by.
The 41-year-old American waited seven years to claim his first title – the Bob Hope Classic – in 2009.
It took him another seven years before his next triumph – the OHL Classic in Mayakoba, Mexico, last November.
But the way he’s been playing in the CIMB Classic, it looks like Perez will not need to wait another seven years for his third win.
The overnight leader turned a narrow onestroke advantage into a four-shot lead after the third round at TPC Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
After bogeying the 13th hole, only his second of the campaign, Perez responded with four birdies in his last five holes to move clear of the field with a sublime eight-under 64.
He also had birdies on the fourth, fifth, ninth, 10th and 12th.
Perez’s 21-under 195 is the lowest 54-hole score in the tournament’s history – bettering the mark of 20-under 196 set by Justin Thomas and Brendan Steele in 2015.
Xander Schaufelle, the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, remains Perez’s nearest challenger after returning a 67 for 199 total, with South Korea’s Kang Sung-hoon continuing to impress with a 65 for sole third spot a further stroke back.
Despite the commanding lead, Perez believes he needs more birdies to get to 26-under to get the job done.
“I wanted to get to 20 (under) today. My goal for the end of the week is like 26 (under),” said Perez.
“I knew I had to do that (picking up shots) again. These guys are so good and you can make so many birdies out here so fast.
“I’m not really worried about the board (who’s behind him). I’m worried more about the end number. So if I can get another six (birdies) tomorrow (today), I might be tough to catch.”
Perez also stands a chance to become the oldest winner of the CIMB Classic.
Bo Van Pelt holds the record after winning the 2011 edition at 36.
This is Perez’s fifth appearance here and his best finish came in 2011 when he tied for ninth.
Schaufelle said he was enjoying the company of Perez and Sung-hoon, who inspired him to play better.
The 23-year-old made up for a bogey at the first with an eagle and four birdies to keep him- self in the chase.
“It’s fun. You’d much rather have the group chasing forward up the leaderboard than kind of stagnant,” he said.
“Watching both those guys make putts is always a good thing visually for me. You feel like the holes just got a little bit bigger.”