Parry, Burns and Thatcher share HCO lead after three rounds  PGA TOUR Staff GLEN ALLEN, Va. -- Bryn Parry (65), Roland Thatcher (66) and Bob Burns (67) moved into a share of the lead after the third round of the Nationwide Tour's $450,000 Henrico County Open on Saturday.  Bob Burns is one round away from a second Henrico County Open victory. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/WireImage)
At 12-under-par 204, the trio has plenty of competition on its heels as four players are one shot back at 11-under 205, including David Sanchez (67), Chris Baryla (68), Nick Flanagan (69) and Michael Letzig (69). Parry, one of the most decorated teaching professionals in Canadian history, recorded the round of the day with a 7-under 65 -- just his second sub-70 round in 23 career rounds on the Nationwide Tour (the other a 3-under 69 in Thursday's opening round). "I'm striking it fantastic and rolling it even better," said Parry, a 35-year-old native of Vancouver, British Columbia. "I'm in a comfort zone right now. I didn't have a score in mind today, but I knew with the recent rain that I could be aggressive. We were able to take an aggressive line and fire at the pins." While his ball-striking was solid -- evidenced by 12 of 14 fairways hit in regulation -- Parry's short game was even better. "I wasn't doing the math, but I was just told I had 10 one-putts and a chip-in on another hole," said Parry, who ended the day with just 24 putts. Parry is perhaps best known in Canada for his efforts building and running the Seymour Creek Golf Center -- a Canadian Professional Golf Association training facility in Vancouver. Success last year at the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament put his days as a teaching professional on the back burner, however. "I went to q-school last year and got on a roll and the rest is history," said Parry. "I had worked hard to build up my teaching business. It was sad go give it up ... because I enjoy teaching and we've got some really good junior players at our training center. But I guess teaching was helpful for me too because I was telling the guys things that I'm now practicing and doing on the course myself." While he misses his days as a teacher, Parry is enjoying his time on the Nationwide Tour -- despite limited success so far this season. In eights starts, this weekend represents just his second made cut. A tie for 30th place at the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship is his best showing to date. "I haven't had a lot of success so far this season but I'm starting to play like I knew I could," said Parry. "I'm having the time of my life out here. It is a new environment every week. I'm playing courses I've never played before. I'm staying in hotels one week and in private housing the next. Each week is a unique experience and I couldn't be having more fun. Playing well this week helps too." While Parry is winless in nine previous career starts on Tour, Thatcher will enter the final round seeking to win for the second time on Tour and first since the 2002 Bank of America Monterey Peninsula Classic. Burns, on the other hand, will be seeking career win No. 3 on Tour -- and his second at the Henrico County Open (1998). "Obviously, I have an eye for this golf course," said Burns. "It definitely suits my eye." Third-Round News & Notes: Brad Ott equaled the lowest back-nine score in Henrico County Open history with a 7-under 29 on Saturday. Others with a 29 on the back at The Dominion Club include Barry Fabyan (1994, Round 4) and Mike Springer (1997, Round 3) ... Jimmy Walker (67) equaled the best birdie-eagle streak of the season by going 5-under on Nos. 2-5 (E-B-B-B). Jason Enloe had just established the mark on Friday ... The third-round leader has gone on to win the Henrico County Open eight times in 14 tries, most recently Chad Collins in 2005. So far this season, the leader after 54 holes has won four of seven tournaments ... The toughest hole on Saturday was the par-4 eighth hole with a 4.450 average, while the par-5 18th hole ranked as the easiest hole at 4.350 ... The third round scoring average was 70.300 ... Sunday's winner will take home a first-place prize of $81,000. Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved. |
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