
The first groups are ready to tee off in today's final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Here's how it sets up:
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EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR Network on-site correspondent John Maginnes previews Sunday's final round:
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Jerry Kelly loves food, really good food, so it's no wonder that he's so comfortable in New Orleans where food is religion and dinner is a rite. Jerry has been coming here for years, making friends and eating his way around this fabulous town.
I had dinner with Jerry on Friday night before he went out and took command of the Zurich Classic. The dinner started with lobster dumpling appetizers and concluded with bread pudding. A crisp bottle of white and lots of laughter, old stories and new lies made for a great night.
The conversational ball bounced from kids and sports to old friends. The subject of golf came by fleetingly, only to say that I don't think that I have ever seen him play better. He has certainly struck the ball better in his career and possibly putted better, too. But the total package of scoring and playing the game has never been as accessible as it seems for him now. Don't be at all surprised if he does his best Brian Gay impersonation on Sunday, although I am sure that he won't be wearing lime green pants.
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NOTEWORTHY NUGGETS:
Jerry Kelly's three-stroke lead is the largest 54-hole lead in this event since Calvin Peete owned a five-shot advantage back in 1986. Peete went on to win by five strokes. In the past eight years, however, only two 54-hole leaders have gone on to win this event: Chris Couch in 2006 and Nick Watney in 2007.
There were a total of six eagles in Thursday's opening round and nine eagles during the second Friday but only two on Saturday -- Ryan Palmer at the par-4 13th and Ian Poulter at the par-5 18th, where he holed a bunker shot from 88 feet.
Palmer eagled the par-4 13th hole Saturday morning by taking the "shortest distance between two points" route. Palmer went for the green off the tee, and hit his drive to within 27 feet, 5 inches of the cup on the dogleg-left hole and then rolled in the putt. The hole measures 370 yards but he needed to hit his drive only 336 yards to get in position for an eagle.
George McNeill made a run at the TPC Louisiana course record of 64 Saturday but ran into trouble down the stretch. McNeill birdied four holes in a row (Nos. 2-5) and was 7 under for the day after a birdie at No. 13. His run was derailed by a tee shot into the water at the par-4 16th hole, where he made bogey. Two more penalty strokes at the closing par-5 18th resulted in a triple bogey and a final score of 69.
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| The Film Room | ||||||
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