Groups we're watching: Round three, CMN Classic

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Nov. 8, 2008
By PGATOUR.COM Staff

PGA TOUR SHOT TRACKER: Full field | Follow by group | Create your own view

All times are Eastern.

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Scott Verplank, Steve Marino, Troy Matteson
Tee time:
10:50 a.m.
Tee: No. 1
Total TOUR wins: 6
Why you should watch: The leaders in this weekend's final official PGA TOUR event of 2008, Verplank, Marino and Matteson will tee off together on the Magnolia Course in the third round. Up by three shots, Verplank is looking for his first win of the 2008 season. Back-to-back 64s on Thursday and Friday were a promising start for the 44-year-old, but with a charging leaderboard, he'll need to keep that up through two more rounds if he wants the win this week. A "w" this week could help put him on his way to the '09 Presidents Cup team, which is surely on his mind after missing out on a captain's pick for Azinger's '08 Ryder Cup team. Also looking for that elusive win this year -- and maiden TOUR victory -- young Steve Marino hasn't quiet been able to put together four solid rounds despite some golden play on odd days throughout the season. He's three-shots back, but it's moving day after all. Is this the week Marino finally breaks through? Feeling hot after last weeks tie for seventh at the Ginn sur Mer Classic, Troy Matteson has that train-in-motion momentum pushing him through this week. And it seems he likes playing in Florida; his best finish this season was a tie for second at the PODS Championship, held just down the road in Palm Harbor, Fla.

2008 stat comparison
Player Events played Cuts made 1st 2nd 3rd Top 10 Top 25 Scoring average
Scott Verplank 23 17       2 7 71.04
Steve Marino 31 26   1 1 5 12 70.40
Troy Matteson 29 15   1   4 6 71.58
watching2.jpg

Joe Durant, Stewart Cink, Woody Austin
Tee time:
9 a.m.
Tee: No. 1
Total TOUR wins: 12
Why you should watch: Outside the top 125 on the money list, Joe Durant has plans for a big week in Disney World. He hasn't had a bad year; one top 10 and four top-25 finishes on top of that have given him reason to smile throughout the season, but his 10 missed cuts have hurt him in the pocket department. At 8 under, he's eight shots off the lead, but he can overcome that deficit if he gets to work early. Also 8 under, the only 2008 winner in this group, Stewart Cink, has nothing to worry about this week in Lake Buena Vista. His stellar season -- one win, two runner-ups, two thirds, two additional top 10s and five top 25s -- pushed him to ninth on the money list. Cink's here to have fun this week, and if he wins a trophy along the way, so be it. Another proven TOUR winner, Austin hasn't had the year he would have liked. He fired up the '07 season with a spunk that only he could bring to the game, but despite a couple of close calls at the Buick Open and a couple of weeks ago at the Turning Stone Resort Championship, everyone's favorite TOUR character hasn't been able to close the deal in 2008. He's got to be one of the most fun players out there this week, and who better to close the year with a win at Disney World?

2008 stat comparison
Player Events played Cuts made 1st 2nd 3rd Top 10 Top 25 Scoring average
Joe Durant 27 17       1 5 71.42
Stewart Cink 22 19 1 2 2 7 12 70.71
Woody Austin 29 23   1 1 6 11 71.18
watching3.jpg

Jerry Kelly, Vaughn Taylor, Frank Lickliter II
Tee time:
10:20 a.m.
Tee: No. 10
Total TOUR wins: 6
Why you should watch: This is a seasoned group with an even two TOUR wins to each name, but they're all winless in 2008. Kelly has come the closest this season with two ties for second -- in Puerto Rico and at the Memorial Tournament -- as well as a solo third at the Sony Open in Hawaii back in January. This guy has pretty much two methods of playing golf: Getting cut or finishing strong. Since he's already made it to the weekend, he's a serious threat for the trophy in Disney World despite being far off the lead heading into the third round. Kelly has the most impressive "almosts" this year, but Taylor has the most recent "almost" after tying for second at last week's Ginn sur Mer Classic. The Augusta, Ga., native might have enough juice left in him to make a big move Saturday and get in shape for the final round. Lickliter has struggled this year, missing 10 cuts and carding only three top-25 finishes, so he's looking for a good note to end the season on before he gets set for 2009. He's 145th on the money list coming in to this week's event, which means he needs to pull out all the stops over the weekend.

2008 stat comparison
Player Events played Cuts made 1st 2nd 3rd Top 10 Top 25 Scoring average
Jerry Kelly 30 14   2 1 4 8 71.55
Vaughn Taylor 31 20   1   2 7 70.90
Frank Lickliter II 31 21         3 71.21
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LIVE COVERAGE
Player Events Money
Tiger Woods 17 $10,508,163
Steve Stricker 22 $6,332,636
Phil Mickelson 18 $5,332,755
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