Willis moves into lead at WNB Golf Classic
By Joe Chemycz, PGA TOUR Staff
Midland, Texas -- Garrett Willis was just hoping to be somewhere near the 54-hole lead at the WNB Golf Classic but a bogey-free Saturday afternoon at Midland Country Club turned out better than expected. Willis used a 5-under 67 to get to 16-under 200 and move in front by two strokes heading into Sunday's finale.
TCU grad J.J. Killeen (66) and Californian Brendan Steele (68) share second place at 14-under. Keoke Cotner, runner-up here a year ago, matched the best round of the day with a 7-under 65 and is joined by Jerod Turner (69) and Jason Schultz (70) at 13-under 203 and three back. Three more are in at 12-under 204.
Second-round leader Fran Quinn hit only six of 14 fairways and nine greens in regulation en route to a 2-over 74 but is within striking distance at 11-under.
"I wanted to come out here and make no bogeys," said Willis, who has been hanging near the lead since an opening-round 64. "I knew the guys coming out here early were going to go pretty low and I felt if I could make some birdies I could hang out around the lead."
True to form, the early starters posted low scores, moved up in the standings and threatened the leaders on a sunny afternoon when temperatures reached the low 90s.
"The weather is so good right now and this is a tough course but it's playing as easy as it can," said Killeen. "The greens are soft and smooth. You had to shoot under par today if you wanted to get into contention."
Willis wasn't as crisp as he'd been in the opening two rounds but managed to save par at critical times and roll in birdies when he had his chances.
"This was probably the best Saturday round I've had all year," said Willis, who is No. 19 on the money list. "It was a nice little hurdle to get over, playing well on a Saturday. I don't know if I'm pressing too hard. I don't know if I'm trying to get it all done in one week instead of just relaxing and playing golf."
Willis, playing in the next-to-last group, missed an eight-foot birdie putt to start the day and was forced to save par three times in his next five holes but held steady and then chipped in for birdie at No. 7 and canned a short birdie putt at No. 8 to gain a share of the lead at 14-under. He added back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13 and was solid down the stretch.
"I really didn't think about being in the lead after the third round," he said. "I think about being in the lead after the fourth round all the time. It's nice to have a little bit of a cushion with tomorrow to go."
Killeen, who still lives in Fort Worth, got off to a birdie-eagle-par-birdie start to put his name among the top challengers.
"I wasn't thinking that much about a number," he said after his second straight 66. "There are so many guys and I just knew I had to make a bunch of birdies today."
But it was a pair of par-saving putts that kept him going. He needed a 15-footer for par at No. 6 and a 10-footer for par at No. 8 to maintain his pace.
"Those are just as good as birdies when you can keep bogeys off the card," he said. "My short game has been unreal this week."
Killeen had needed it. He ranks next-to-last in greens in regulation but has used only 73 putts to cover the first 54 holes. He's one-putted 29 times and has knocked it in from off the green on three other occasions.
Steele, on the other hand, is tied for second in greens hit but is well down the list in putting at T46.
"I'm giving myself a lot of opportunities and as long as a few of them go in, the scores will be pretty good," he said. "It was a good day. I had a few mistakes but had a lot of birdies to make up for it. I didn't have a number in mind today but I did think last night that it's kind of a race to 20 (under), somewhere in that zone. I'd take 20 right now and see where it takes you."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Third-Round Notes:
• David Hearn's bogey-free streak ended at 38 on the third hole today when he made a double-bogey. Hearn was the only player in the field not to have a bogey for the opening 36 holes.
• Billy Mayfair is playing in his first Nationwide Tour event after making 643 career starts on the PGA TOUR. Mayfair has posted scores of 68-70-68 and is tied for 19th at 10-under par.
• Rhein Gibson, a Monday qualifier, had a stretch of nine consecutive holes without a par. Gibson, a 2008 grad of NAIA Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City, had five birdies and four bogeys starting the 8th hole. He finished with a 2-under 70 and is tied for seventh place at 12-under.
• Ryan Armour did not make a par on his first nine holes today. Armour had seven birdies, including five consecutive birdies starting at No. 2, and two bogeys to shoot a 5-under 31.
"That's a first for me," he said. "All of them were within 15 feet and I made them. I three-putted from seven feet on number 7 or else it could have been a good run."
Armour finished the day with 7-under 65 that included an "all-world par" on the par-4, 18th hole. He flew a 7-iron from 174 over the green and watched as the ball landed inside the grandstand and kicked straight forward, leaving him 34 yards from the pin but with that same grandstand in his way.
"My drop would have been under two trees and having to punch it through a bunker," he said. "I wanted to go over it and hit it 20 to 30 feet past the hole and take my chances and maybe make a 5 at worst."
Armour's flop shot with a wedge hit the grandstand again and bounced four feet from the hole. He made the putt for par and finished the day at 12-under 204. He is tied with Gibson for seventh spot.
Shop your favorite brand name golf equipment and accessories at SHOP.PGATOUR.COM
PGATOUR.com is part of Turner - SI Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network 