Children's Miracle Network Classic: Third-Round Notebook  PGA TOUR Staff LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Due to wet conditions, players played preferred lies for the third straight round on Saturday. This is the ninth event on the 2007 PGA TOUR in which players have played preferred lies.  Scott Verplank lost his grip on solo first place Saturday, but remains in great position for a second win in 2007. (Cannon/WireImage)
• Scott Verplank and Stephen Ames' three-round total of 13-under 203 is the highest 54-hole score to lead the Children's Miracle Network Classic since 1973, when John Mahaffey led with a total of 10-under 206. • This marks the fifth 54-hole lead/co-lead in Stephen Ames' PGA TOUR career. He went on to win the 2006 PLAYERS Championship and the 2004 BMW Championship, and tied for eighth at both the 2003 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and the 1999 Valero Texas Open. • This marks Verplank's 16th 54-hole lead/co-lead in his PGA TOUR career and the second time in which he has sat atop the 54-hole leaderboard at the Children's Miracle Network Classic. He went on to win the 1988 Buick Open and the 1985 Western Open. • Holding the 54-hole lead doesn't guarantee much at the Children's Miracle Network Classic as only three players in the last 11 years were able to convert at least a share of the 54-hole lead into victory (2003, Vijay Singh; 2001, Jose Coceres; 1999, Tiger Woods). • Stephen Ames and Scott Verplank are looking to become the sixth Children's Miracle Network Classic champion in his 40s. The others are Raymond Floyd in 1986 (44 years, 1 month, 15 days), Larry Nelson in 1987 (40 years, 1 month, 8 days), Brad Bryant in 1995 (40 years, 9 months, 27 days), Vijay Singh in 2003 (40 years, 8 months, 4 days) and Joe Durant in 2006 (42 years, six months and 15 days). • 2007 PGA TOUR winners in their 40s are Vijay Singh (2), Steve Flesch (2), Paul Goydos, Mark Calcavecchia, Scott Verplank, Woody Austin and Steve Stricker. • Brett Wetterich has his game back on track after a mid-season slide that began at the Memorial Tournament and lasted through The Barclays. During that stretch, Wetterich missed five of eight cuts and carded only two rounds in the 60s. • This marks only the second time in Matthew Goggin's six-year PGA TOUR career in which he has found himself in the top five (tied for third) heading into the final round of a TOUR event. • Rich Beem, who entered the week at No. 121 on the PGA TOUR's money list, carded a third-round 70 and is in position to keep his card for the 2008 season. Beem climbed as high as 42nd on the TOUR's money list this year after his T9 finish at the Buick Invitational in January. After a T45 finish at the inaugural AT&T National, Beem fell out of the top 125 on the money list, marking the fourth straight year in which he has done that at one point in the season. • J.B. Holmes, who is leading the event this week in Driving Distance (309.8 yards, the only player to average over 300 yards off the tee this week), has himself in position to become the first PGA TOUR player to win an event in which he is leading that category since Tiger Woods won the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in August. • Of the players starting their third round on the back nine at the Magnolia Course, Robert Gamez made the biggest move on Saturday with a round of 67, in turn moving from a tie for 48th to a tie for ninth. • Gamez's round of 67 was the lowest round carded on Saturday. This is the highest third-round low score in tournament history. • 2006 Children's Miracle Network Classic winner Joe Durant will need a miracle of his own to defend his title on Sunday. Durant carded a third-round 69 on Saturday and sits six shots out of the lead. • A player to watch on Sunday might be Heath Slocum, who will begin his round two shots out of the lead. Slocum is sixth on the PGA TOUR in Round 4 Scoring Average with an average of 69.57. • Bogey-free rounds on Saturday were carded by Tripp Isenhour (69), Brian Gay (69) and Tom Pernice Jr.(70). • The three-round scoring average for the Magnolia Course (71.154) is on pace to be the highest average for that course since 1999, when it played to an average of 71.440. Through three rounds on the Magnolia Course, the par-4 fifth has played as the most difficult hole with a scoring average of 4.217. The fifth played as the most difficult hole in 2006 and 2005. • The par-4 17th and the par-4 18th played as the fifth and first most difficult holes on Saturday, respectively. The two lengthy par 4s combined to allow a mere 16 birdies on the day. |
