Price back on top after 54 holes in West Virginia

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BRIDGEPORT, W. Va. -- Rick Price fired a 6-under-par 66 Saturday to move back atop the leaderboard after 54 holes of the $1 million Nationwide Tour Players Cup, the richest tournament in Tour history.

Four birdies in his first five holes put Rick Price back out front. (Condon/PGA TOUR)

Inside the Numbers

Price thru 54 Holes

Category Total Rank Eagles 2 T2 Birdies 16 T3 Pars 31 T46 Bogeys 5 T51 Double Bogeys 0 N/A Other 0 N/A Driving Accuracy 85.7% T30 Driving Distance 271.2 yds. 58 Greens in Regulation 83.3% T2 Putts per Round 28.3 T6 Putts per GIR 1.622 3 Sand Saves 0 N/A

Price's 15-under 201 total is one shot better than Chris Anderson (66) and two better than David Branshaw (65) heading into Sunday's chase for a $180,000 first-place check that could virtually sew up a berth on the PGA TOUR in 2009. At the end of the year, The 25 top money winners will move onto the TOUR.

Second-round leader Matt Bettencourt (71) holds down fourth place, four shots back of Price, who held the first-day lead after an 8-under 64 at the Pete Dye Golf Club.

"We all know what we're playing for this week," said Price, who could jump from No. 46 to No. 4 with a victory. "I'm just trying to play good golf and the rest of the year will take care of itself. I feel like if I do that I'll be in the top 25 when the year is done. That was the goal for all of us when the year started."

Price played really well at the start, making four birdies in his first five holes to jump over playing partners Bettencourt and Anderson and into the lead. From there, the momentum slowed as the 40-year-old Floridian played the next nine in even-par. Despite that, none of the challengers made any drastic moves forward.

Price was at 13 under and leading by two when he pull hooked his tee shot into the heavy weeds left of a thin water hazard that parallels the fairway on the 337-yard, 15th hole.

"After I saw the lie, all I was trying to do was make 5," said Price, who hacked his second shot forward about 30 yards. "I didn't want to go towards the fairway and bring the hazard into play. I just didn't have anywhere to go. I could have made anything there but I was trying to get out of there with 5."

Which he did after sending his third shot over the green into more heavy rough and chipping to within inches for bogey. Price recovered nicely with a 15-foot birdie at the par-3 16th to get back to 13 under. Price's second shot on the 504-yard, par-5 17th stopped about 15 feet from the hole and he then regained the outright lead with an eagle-3.

Up ahead, Branshaw had finished his day at 13 under and was talking to reporters about sharing the lead. Suddenly, Price's eagle and Anderson's birdie went on the scoreboard.

"A lot can happen in a minute and a half," Branshaw chuckled. "I go from tied for the lead to third place just like that. You're always trying to make a move. Right up until the last hole on Sunday you're always trying to move, move, move. You can't put your foot on the accelerator all the time and have it work out as planned, unless you're Tiger (Woods)."

Price's tee shot on the 497-yard closing hole found a fairway bunker but he was able to get close enough to the green with his second that an up-and-down par 4 was all but routine.

"I did everything I wanted to do today," said Price, who won the 2005 Xerox Classic but has yet to make it to the PGA TOUR during his career.

Anderson, No. 134 on the money list, would welcome a return trip to TOUR, where he was a member in 2003 and 2005. The winner's share would get him into the top 10.

"It sure would be nice but you can't think of the money," he said. "I'd rather have the trophy. I remember watching Bart Bryant finishing second earlier this year at Bay Hill (Arnold Palmer Invitational). I don't know what he made but he said, 'I don't like finishing second. They just give you the money and tell you to go away."

Anderson didn't let the leader(s) get away from him Saturday. Steady, consistent play kept him close to the top. He capped off a bogey-free day with three birdies on his final five holes.

Branshaw posted seven birdies and an eagle as he weaved his way through leaderboard traffic. While the lure of the Tour's richest check is on everyone's minds, Branshaw is looking farther down the road.

"The top 25 is just a number. It doesn't matter until the end of the year," he said. "Once that final putt drops after the 30th tournament, that's when the top 25 matters. Not until then."

Third-Round Notes: Sunday's tee times have been moved up due to possible weather issues. Fourth-round play will be in threesomes off the first and tenth tees with times running from 7:30-9:30 a.m. The tournament is expected to finish around 2:30 p.m.