Briny Baird on cusp of first PGA win; Tiger Woods nine back of
lead; Erick Justesen at 5-under.
SAN MARTIN – Ideal conditions at CordeValle Golf Club yielded low scores Saturday and Tiger Woods carded his second straight under-par round after a disappointing 73 on Day 1. However, the 14-time Major champion, who is in search of his first PGA Tour victory since 2009, has an outside chance, at best, of hoisting the trophy by tournament’s end.
Woods is nine strokes back of leader Briny Baird, who caught fire early and stayed hot late.
“The golf course could have been had today. I’m sure somebody will shoot 62 or 3 out there pretty easily,” Woods said after completing his round around 3 p.m.
He was right on the money with that prediction.
Jim Renner barely made the cut entering Round 3 at +1, but turned in 10 birdies for a tournament-course record 9-under-par 62.
“Today was a pretty good day. I was sweating it out to see if I was even going to play today,” Renner, 27, said. “You know, it’s more or less just a relief to get to come out here and play.”
Will MacKenzie also shot 62 on Saturday.
But back to Baird.
Playing in his 348th PGA Tour event ($11.9 million in career earnings) and looking for his first win, Baird, 39, a native of Florida, had seven birdies and an eagle to produce a round of 64 and a two-stroke advantage over Ernie Els and the tournament’s leader after 36 holes Paul Casey, heading into Sunday’s final round.
“I know how I felt today. If I can feel tomorrow like I did today, I’m probably going to be a very, very hard guy to beat. And that’s coming from a guy who has never won on the PGA Tour,” Baird said. “I felt very surprisingly in control of my golf game.”
Adam Hadwin and Charlie Wi also signed off on 64s and sit in a tie for fourth.
Hadwin played the back nine 6-under, including a stretch where he went birdie, birdie, eagle.
“That stretch of (holes) 13, 14, 15 was kind of a big momentum boost, a lot of good shots, and then was able to get that eagle,” Hadwin said. “It was a good, solid round.”
Wi, a Cal Berkeley alum, had two sequences of three consecutive birdeis en route to his 64.
“I hit the ball really well today,” Wi said. “Kept giving myself opportunities and I was able to make some putts.”
Bryce Moulder (65) and Bud Cauley (68), complete a four-way tie for fourth.
Els, a surprise late entrant into the Fall Series event, backed up a second-round 66 with a 67 on Saturday. Casey posted a 3-under 68.
“I’d love to be one or two better, but I’m happy with where I am,” Els said.
Els received a nudge in the right direction from SAP founder and owner of CordeValle, Dr. Hasso Plattner, who called Els with the offer to come play this week.
“Sometimes you have to listen to the boss,” Els said with a laugh as he sported a SAP hat.
The former Major winner has not made the Top 10 in 15 Tour events this year, but is primed to do more than that Sunday.
“I’m playing well, swinging nicely,” Els said. “I’ve got a chance tomorrow.”
Woods made things interesting midway through his round, pulling to within three strokes of the leaders at one point at 5-under after back-to-back birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 – his 10th and 11th holes.
Needing a strong finish to keep sights set on the front runners, Woods instead played his last seven holes 1-over.
After a bogey on No. 3, and a trio of pars, Woods hooked his tee shot into a mess long and left of the Par 3 seventh green.
“The body starts rotating and obviously the hands chase,” Woods said of the drive.
His out from there scooted well over the putting surface and his third leaked onto the fringe. Woods drained a 14-footer to save bogey.
Woods had a 30-foot putt for eagle on his finishing hole, the Par 5 ninth. He settled for birdie and 68. He is tied for 39th.
“It’s getting better. I’m improving day by day, which is nice,” Woods said. “Obviously tomorrow I need to improve a lot and make the putts and post a really low one tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Live Oak grad Erick Justesen birdied No. 18 for a 1-under round of 70, but said he left some shots out on the course.
“Saturday is moving day and I feel like I kind of got lapped out there today,” said Justesen, who is tied for 26th. “I just didn’t do much to excel at any point. I just tried to keep it together.”
Sunday’s final round will begin at 10 a.m. The final group will tee off at 11:50 a.m. A full list of tee times can be found at right.
