Round 3: Travelers Championship

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Paul Goydos made seven birdies in eight holes during one stretch on Saturday.

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Travelers Championship

PGATOUR.COM's The Live Report has all the news and notes from the Travelers Championship, and we'll be providing updates from TPC River Highlands all day long for each round, so check back often. (All timestamps are Eastern Time.) PGA TOUR Shot Tracker | Live Scoring | PGA TOUR Network | Facebook | Twitter | FanZone

SOME OLD (NO PUN INTENDED) FRIENDS IN THE FINAL GROUP SUNDAY (7:30 p.m.) -- Kenny Perry missed a five-foot putt for birdie, giving Paul Goydos a one-shot lead heading into the final round.

Goydos

Goydos, who turned 45 last week, will play with Perry, 48, in the final group on Sunday.

One interesting tidbit: You might remember the last time Goydos and Perry played together in the final group. It was a little over a year ago at the 2008 THE PLAYERS Championship -- the one that Goydos lost in a playoff to Sergio Garcia. Perry shot an 81 that day and finished tied for 15th.

GOYDOS MISSES 10-FOOTER FOR A 62 (7:17 p.m.) -- Paul Goydos hit a gorgeous appoach on No. 18 to 10 feet, but his birdie putt stayed out of the hole. He tapped in for a 63, which matches his low round of the year.

Here's a look at Goydos' card:

PLAY IS BACK UNDER WAY (7:03 p.m.) -- Play has resumed in the third round with Kenny Perry lining up a 15-foot birdie putt to get to 16 under and into a tie with Paul Goydos.

Perry

THE BEST OF LIVE@ THIRD ROUND: We've complied all the best shots from the third round of our coverage from the 15th and 17th holes in the third round: Watch highlights | Caddie/player conversations

PLAY TO RESUME AT 7 P.M., WEATHER PERMITTING (6:36 p.m.) -- PGA TOUR officials are going to try to resume play in Hartford at the top of the hour. Stay tuned.

PLAY SUSPENDED AT TPC RIVER HIGHLANDS (5:42 p.m.) -- An approaching storm has stopped play late in the third round. Stay tuned for updates.

Our Brian Wacker just Tweeted these updates:

"Play suspended. Horn just blew. That means lightning is in the area. Players will be kept in vans out here though."

"Lightning strike 10 miles south of here. There will be about a 10 or 15 min at least, if not longer."

"Scratch that. Players are now being pulled off the course and driven up to the clubhouse. Could be more than 15 min delay. Stay tuned."

NEW LEADER (5:21 p.m.) -- Paul Goydos grabbed the outright lead with a birdie on our LIVE@ hole, the 15th, after hitting driver to the front of the green and getting up-and-down. Since his bogey on the eighth hole, Goydos is 5 under.

Wittenberg

CRAZY STREAK, PART TWO (5:20 p.m.) -- Casey Wittenburg has birdied five of the last six holes on TPC River Highlands' back nine to move to 13 under, just one shot back of Paul Goydos and Kenny Perry.

ROUGH FINISH FOR MAHAN (5:10 p.m.) -- Hunter Mahan's bid to become the first player to shoot 60 at TPC River Highlands ended badly on Saturday. He finished par, par, bogey for a 63.

Mahan needed a birdie to get to 61 on the ninth hole -- his final one of the day -- but he failed to escape the two bunkers he found coming in.

Mahan missed a seven-foot putt for par, but the round was still sparkling: 11 fairways hit, 14 greens in regulation, 26 putts.

Here's a look at Mahan's scorecard:

CRAZY STREAK, PART ONE (5:05 p.m.) -- Tag Ridings was mired an a mediocre round until he arrived at the par-3 11th. Ridings, who started the day in a tie for 11th, was losing ground after an eight-par, one-bogey front nine.

Ridings

Mediocrity over.

Ridings roared through the 11th and 12th holes with birdies before eagling the par-5 13th, and he went on to birdie the 14th and 15th to move to 5 under on the day and 12 under for the tournament.

GOYDOS ON A ROLL (5 p.m.) -- Paul Goydos rolled in a 10-footer for birdie on the 14th hole to get to 14 under, one shot behind Perry. Goydos missed only one fairway on Friday, and he's missed only one today.

IMPROVED PUTTING THE KEY FOR PERRY (4:55 p.m.) -- Kenny Perry maintained a two-shot lead with a brilliant up-and-down on the par-5 13th, and he's consistently been making his mid-range putts in the third round.

Perry shot 68 on Friday -- and nearly half of those shots (32) were putts. In today's third round, Perry has used 19 putts through 13 holes.

VAN PELT IN WITH A 64 (4:36 p.m.) -- Bo Van Pelt just rolled in a 23-footer for birdie on the par-4 18th for a 64. He joins a slew of players at 12 under, three shots behind Kenny Perry.

Here's a look at Van Pelt's card:

PERRY BACK IN THE LEAD (4:22 p.m.) -- John Merrick double-bogeyed the par-4 12th at the same time Kenny Perry birdied the par-3 10th. The three-shot swing gives Perry a two-shot lead at 14 under over Hunter Mahan and Paul Goydos.

Mahan, who teed off on the back nine, needs a birdie on one of his last three holes to tie the course record of 61.

LYLE EAGLES DURING LIVE@ (4:08 p.m.) -- Jarrod Lyle just chipped in eagle (watch the shot) on the 296-yard 15th hole, moving him into the top 10 at 9 under. It is Lyle's fifth eagle of the year.

More information about eagles on TOUR in 2009:

NO LONGER BOGEY-FREE (4:05 p.m.) -- David Toms was the final player in the field without a bogey -- until he stepped to the par-4 10th hole.

Toms hit a decent approach on the mile-long par 4, hitting it to 50 feet, but left his lag putt a full five feet short. He missed the comebacker to drop to 11 under, two shots behind Kenny Perry and John Merrick.

ALMOST FORGOT YOU, BRYCE (3:48 p.m.) -- Because he didn't qualify for the U.S. Open, Bryce Molder entered the Travelers Championship under the radar.

Molder

Molder, a Georgia Tech graduate in his second year on TOUR, finished second in the St. Jude Classic presented by FedEx two weeks ago and is currently in the top 10 again this week after a 4 under start on Saturday.

Molder, who has just one bogey all week, is back on TOUR in 2009 after returning to the Nationwide Tour to regain his card.

Thanks to his finish in Memphis, he's 93rd in the FedExCup standings, and his scoring average of 70.89 is ahead of names like Stewart Cink and Sergio Garcia.

MERRICK OUT IN 30 (3:27 p.m.) -- Leader John Merrick missed a makeable birdie try on the par-4 ninth but still has a share of the lead after a 30 on the front side. Merrick has been sharper on the front side at TPC River Highlands this week -- both of his bogeys have come on the the back side.

Kenny Perry just caught Merrick at 13 under with a birdie on the par-3 eighth.

TWITTER UPDATE (3:21 p.m.) -- Our Brian Wacker is still on the course following the threesome of Kenny Perry, David Toms and Ryan Moore. Some tidbits from his Tweets:

"The temps have dropped a bit and the breeze picked up at times, but no rain...yet. They're saying maybe 430ish but seems to be holding off."

"The last group of the day just teed off on No. 1. Kenny Perry definitely seems like the most popular guy in this group."

"David Toms nearly jarred it from 174 yards at No. 7, leaving himself 16 inches for birdie. That was only birdie of the bunch. Toms now -12."

Mahan

MAHAN MAKES FIFTH BIRDIE IN A ROW (3:07 p.m.) -- Hunter Mahan has five one-putts in as many holes, moving him to 7 under on the day and 11 under total, twop behind John Merrick. If Mahan can play the final seven holes in two under, he will tie the course record of 61.

CBS IS ON THE AIR (3:01 p.m.) -- Jim Nantz just opened the third-round broadcast with a clip of new U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, who is 3 under today and has moved into the top 25 after a disappointing 71 on Friday.

MEET SPENCER LEVIN (3 p.m.) -- As you might have heard on our LIVE@ broadcast this week, Spencer Levin's name is pronounced "La-veen," not "La-vin."

Levin, a 2008 Nationwide Tour graduate, has had a decent start to the season, scoring a pair of top-25 finishes. But he's really on his game this week in Hartford, where he's made just two bogeys al week. He went out in 32 on Saturday afternoon to move to 10 under, just three bacjk of leader John Merrick.

HERE COMES MAHAN (2:34 p.m.) -- We haven't heard much from Hunter Mahan this week. The 2007 Travelers Championship winner made the cut with only a shot to spare after a lackluster 70 in the second round.

Saturday, however, is different. Mahan teed off on the back nine and came out swinging with five birdies, including three in a row from holes 16-18, to move to 9 under for the week.

To follow Mahan with Shot Tracker, click here.

Mahan usually reserves his low rounds for Sunday at TPC River Highlands:

SATURDAY BLUES (2:20 p.m.) -- A season of frustration is continuing for Aaron Baddeley, who is already four over today after a pair of double bogeys. Baddeley made the cut on the number but will have an very early tee time on Sunday unless he can turn it around quickly in the third round.

Baddeley

Heading into this week at TPC River Highlands, Baddeley had broken 70 just once in his last 12 starts.

Baddeley, who switched instructors this spring, has just one top-10 this year -- a tie for ninth at THE PLAYERS Championship. Even that tournament was atypical -- Baddeley shot a final-round 66 on a difficult day at TPC Sawgrass to move several dozen spots into the top 10.

THE BIRDIES STOP HERE (2:07 p.m.) -- You can't fault John Merrick for not birdieing the fourth hole at TPC River Highlands for his fourth birdie in a row. The par-4 hole, which measures 477 yards, is similar to something the field would have seen last week in the U.S. Open.

The field is averaging nearly a stroke a half above par on the hole, which is a dogleg right to a small green. A huge bunker guards the left side of the green, and the pin has been set on the right side of the green all three rounds, making a pushed approach extremely hard to get up-and-down.

MERRICK: NEW LEADER (1:48 p.m.) -- John Merrick just made his third consecutive birdie to start his round at TPC River Highlands. He stuffed his approach on the par-4 third hole to seven feet and drained the putt, tying him with Kenny Perry at 11 under.

Merrick

Perry gave Merrick the outright lead when he three-putted the second hole for his second bogey of the week.

MORE ABOUT MERRICK, GOYDOS (1:45 p.m.) -- Hartford is a long way from Long Beach, Calif. -- Mapquest says its 2,905 miles -- but a pair of Southern California are trying to take the lead from Kenny Perry.

Our cameras have traveled to Long Beach twice to hang out with John Merrick and Paul Goydos, who each have strong ties to the area:

Video: At home with John Merrick
Video: At home with Paul Goydos

MERRICK REACHES 10 UNDER (1:30 p.m.) -- The leaders have just teed off, but John Merrick birdied the first two holes to move to 10 under, one shot behind Kenny Perry.

We keep mentioning that this week is a golden opportunity for a first-time winner, and Merrick fits the bill. His best career finish is a solo second earlier this year at the The 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer.

GREEN SATURDAY IN HARTFORD (1:15 p.m.) -- Danbury, Conn. native Ken Green, who had his lower right leg amputated after he was involved in a car accident that killed his girlfriend and brother, has been on the minds of PGA TOUR competitors all week.

Green ribbons have been made available for players to wear at TPC River Highlands.

Additionally, players will have the option at registration of completing a form where they can pledge a contribution to a Trust the TOUR has established to assist Green. Fans can also make a donation to the Trust, with all money going to ease Green's financial burden.

Kevin Richardson, Green's good friend, lawyer and manager, will serve as the initial Trustee, while Slugger White, Green's brother-in-law, will serve as the back-up Trustee.

Direct contributions can be made to:
Ken Green Trust
PO Box 1811
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32004-1811

Checks should be made out to "Ken Green Trust".

Please note contributions to this trust are designated as gifts, not charitable contributions since this is not a charity.

Also, fans wanting to send their best wishes to Green can do so at this address:
Ken Green c/o Kevin Richardson
1551 Forum Place, Suite 300F
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

MORE FIRST-TIME WINNER CANDIDATES (1 p.m.) -- Charlie Wi's hot start in the third round -- he birdied his first two of his first three holes on Saturday -- moved him to 8 under along with Kris Blanks, who also birdied two of the first three.

Wi

Wi, 37, has played well all year, scoring three top-10s finishes and flirting with the top 30 in FedExCup points. His Official World Golf Ranking has climbed to No. 88, and there is serious talk that he could play his way onto the Presidents Cup team this fall at Harding Park.

In contrast, Blanks, a 36-year-old rookie, has managed to make only 10 starts this year. Of the 10, he's made it to the weekend only three times. In between, he's made five Nationwide Tour starts.

To follow Wi with Shot Tracker, click here.
To follow Blanks with Shot Tracker, click here.

SNEDEKER BACKS UP (12:40 p.m.) -- Brandt Snedeker, playing on the weekend for the first time since the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard in March, started his third round with two consecutive bogeys to drop him to 3 under.

Snedeker

A rib injury caused Snedeker to miss nearly two months of the season, and his 67-67 start at TPC River Highlands marked the first time he'd broken 70 since the third round at Bay Hill.

Snedeker, who won for the first time on TOUR in 2007 at the Wyndham Championship, has been hailed as a potential Presidents Cup team member, but the injury this spring has really slowed his progress.

When he is playing well, Snedeker is the type of player who can rack up the low scores in a hurry (he shot rounds of 61, 63 during his rookie season) but he also relies heavily on his putting. His inability to gain any momentum in 2009 has hurt his putting stats -- he was 15th in Putts Per Round in 2007, but he's 123rd in 2009).

To follow Snedeker with Shot Tracker, click here.

LIVE@ IS UNDER WAY (12:10 p.m.) -- Our third day of live coverage from the 15th and 17th holes continues today with John Swantek, Bob Stevens and Craig Perks providing insights and analysis. Click here to view the action.

(11:57 a.m.) -- Our Brian Wacker has been Tweeting all week from TPC River Highlands (follow his Tweets here). Here's some of his updates from Saturday morning:

"Just talked to Toms. He's finally happy on the golf course and it's showing in his play."

"Ribbons for Ken Green are being handed out to fans here. Lot of local connections and prayers for Green right now."

"Parnevik is only one on practice green right now and getting some love with one fan yelling out that he still looks good in skinny clothes."

"Kelly-Johnson-Verplank about to tee off. Lots of local fan interest in Kelly, the former U of Hartford star. That's Dr. Kelly by the way."

GOING FOR THE GREEN (11:25 a.m.) -- The par-4 15th hole measures to approximately 296 yards, depending on the location of the tees. Through 36 holes, 42 of the 256 players who have attempted to drive the green have been successful. Last year, the hole played to a 3.633 scoring average. -- Mark Stevens

LOW SECOND ROUND? CURTIS (10:55 a.m.) -- Ben Curtis was another player to finish his second round on Saturday, and he finished with a 32 on the back for a 64, the low round of the day. It is Curtis' lowest round on TOUR since his 64 at the 2007 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

Curtis, who was ninth in the FedExCup standings last year, hasn't scored a finish better than a tie for 22nd in 2009. He's battled driving problems all year -- he ranks 157th in Total Driving this year after ranking 57th a year ago.

THIRD-ROUND TEE TIMES ARE OUT (10:40 a.m.) -- Pairings for the third round have been announced (click here) with the field using split tees. Play will begin at 11:10 a.m. ET, with the final group teeing off at 1:20 p.m. ET.

NOW THAT'S A RALLY (10:39 a.m.) -- Jason Bohn hit his tee shot on the 8th hole (his 17th after starting on the 10th hole) into the water on Friday, resulting in a double bogey, putting him at 1 under and two off the cut line when the tournament was suspended due to rain.

He came back on Saturday with one hole left to play and jarred his approach shot on No. 9 from 127 yards for eagle to make the cut on the number. -- Mark Stevens

PERRY, TOMS, MOORE IN FINAL GROUP (10:36 a.m.) -- David Toms was one of several dozen players who had to come back early Saturday to complete the second round, and the delay didn't hurt his game one bit.

Perry

Toms, who is bogey-free through two rounds, birdied his final hole -- the 406-yard par-4 ninth -- after sticking his approach shot to three feet. That birdie moved him to 10 under -- one shot behind Kenny Perry -- and into the final group on Saturday.

The combined age of Perry and Toms? 90. Perry, at 48, is gunning for his second victory of the year and fifth in the last 13 months.

Toms, 42, is winless since the 2006 Sony Open in Hawaii, but he's enjoyed a career resurgence in 2009, racking up six top-10 finishes. He sits 14th in FedExCup points after ranking 136th a year ago.

Perry and Toms will share the pairing with Ryan Moore, who was done with his second round mid-day Friday. Moore is winless on the PGA TOUR after battling nagging hand injuries over his first three seasons.

LIVE@ START DELAYED UNTIL NOON (10:35 a.m.) -- Friday's rain delay necessitated adjustments to our LIVE@ schedule for Saturday. Coverage will begin around noon and will run until 6 p.m.

FIELD COMPLETES SECOND ROUND (10:30 a.m.) -- The field is finally done with the rain-delayed second round, and the cut stayed at 3 under. The field will be re-paired and sent off split tees later today.

A total of 80 players made the cut at 3 under, the lowest cut of the 2009 season and the lowest since the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (6 under. Since more than 78 players made the cut, there will be an additional reduction of the field to 70 players and ties following the third round.

Groups We're Watching

Tee time Players   1:20 p.m. Kenny Perry, David Toms, Ryan Moore Perry has led wire-to-wire so far, but he must putt better than Friday's 32-putt effort. Perry will be fine if he can make some 10-footers. 1 p.m. Anthony Kim, Ben Curtis, John Merrick Kim's return to the leaderboard is welcome news ahead of his title defense next week at the AT&T National. Noon Brandt Snedeker, Brian Gay, Charlie Wi It is nice to see Snedeker play well after battling a rib injury for most of the spring. TPC River Highlands is his style of course.

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