Casey fires stellar 62, grabs Travelers lead
Paul Casey has come close each of the three previous times he has played in Connecticut. He has a great chance to break through today 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, Connecticut, 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 23-foot putt. He broke out of the pack hitting all 18 greens and has a streak of 23 straight heading into today. 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.
“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 bit 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.
Rory McIlroy had an eagle at 15 but three-putted 18 for a bogey and a 69. He was tied for 15th place at 8 under.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth was 3 under after a 71. He opened 63-73.
TWO SHARE LPGA LEAD IN ARKANSAS >> Minjee Lee and Nasa Hataoka each shot 6-under 65 to share the second-round lead in the NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Arkansas. Lee bogeyed her final hole to drop into a tie with the 19-year-old at 13-under 129. Third-ranked Lexi Thompson matched the low round of the day with a 64 to get to 11 under. TOLEDO HONORS COUNTRY
WITH STRONG ROUND >> Wearing a green shirt in a nod to Mexico’s soccer team, Esteban Toledo birdied four of the last six holes for a 6-under 66 and the lead in the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wisconsin. Five strokes behind tournament host Steve Stricker after an opening 69 in rain Friday at University Ridge, the 55-yearold Mexican player had six birdies in a bogey-free round to reach 9-under 135.
“I wear this shirt three days ago, and I wash it myself last night so I can wear green today,” Toledo said.
In Russia on Saturday in the World Cup, Mexico beat South Korea 2-1 to improve to 2-0 and close in on a spot in the round of 16. Toledo won the last of his four PGA Tour Champions titles in 2016.