Round 3: Turning Stone Resort Championship

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Oct. 3, 2009
By PGATOUR.com Staff

The first groups are ready to tee off in Round 3 at the Turning Stone Resort Championship. Here's how it sets up:

Groups We're Watching
Tee time Players  
1:55 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Vaughn Taylor, Nicholas Thompson
Taylor is showing the form that once made him one of the game's most promising young players. He's missed four greens all week.
1:35 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Scott Piercy, Fredrik Jacobson
Piercy opened with two top-10s in his first six starts this year, but he's been shut out in the 19 events since then.
1:25 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Bo Van Pelt, Troy Matteson
Van Pelt went on a tear in the second round, firing a 30 on the back nine. He'll need a similar run in Round 3.

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR on-site correspondent Brett Wright previews Saturday's round:

xmwright.jpg

Cold, nasty rain was again the case in the second round of the Turning Stone Resort Championship on Friday. I always enjoy watching the caddies pump it up in these conditions to keep the clubs, towels and gloves dry. They really earn their keep and are the unsung heroes out on the course. By the way, the caddie accommodations might be one of the best on TOUR at this tournament -- tons of food, drink and even video games in the caddie lounge.

Saturday's forecast

Showers
Temp: 67 high/47 low
Cloudy with morning showers. Light winds.

The golf course is still saturated -- big props to Matt Faldo, the golf course Superintendent, for keeping the course playable this week. The greens are unbelievably fast to have so much water hit them. The forecast is for rain all night and then a break in the morning, followed by more rain in the afternoon. I really don't know how much more this golf course can handle. It's a real shame that this tournament can't catch a break this year, because they do everything first-class here.

Bo Van Pelt shot an eight-under-par 66 in the second round and only used 10 putts on the back nine, where he made six birdies in a row and added a par, another birdie and a bogey. Van Pelt said his wife talked him into playing this week instead of taking a vacation they had planned. Will MacKenzie made a move in Round 2 and credited his wife Allie for suggesting that he switch back to the claw grip he used for his two PGA TOUR wins.

With two rounds left to play and more rain coming, watch for the bombers! There are so many on the leaderboard right now -- Nicholas Thompson, Troy Matteson, Leif Olson, Scott Piercy, Adam Scott and defending champion Dustin Johnson. These guys carry the ball so far that sometimes they have 3- and 4-club advantages over players who depend on roll for their distance. One other factor that will decide this event is something Ken Duke said to me after Round 1: "I just kept everything right in front of me, I never got ahead of myself and realized that I was probably going to make some bogeys but so was everyone else." The players who can stay patient in these ever-changing conditions will also be the ones who have a chance to win the Turning Stone Resort Championship on Sunday, or Monday, or Tuesday...

Stat of the day
Prior to Friday, the last time Vaughn Taylor held a lead/co-lead after any round was the third-round of the 2007 Arnold Palmer Invitational. He went on to finish third.
The Film Room
Rnd. 2 Highlights: 2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship
Vaughn Taylor leads by one stroke after Round 2 of the 2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship. Watch it
2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship: Vaughn Taylor
Vaughn Taylor follows up his first round 67 with another 67 in the second round of the 2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship. Watch it
Shot of the Day: October 2, 2009
Matt Kuchar hits his approach 252 yards to green and then drains the 14-foot putt for eagle on the par-5 12th hole during Round 2. Watch it
Thus far at Atunyote
Round Leaders Low round (par 70) Key links
Tim Petrovic
Leif Olson (-6)
66: Tim Petrovic
Leif Olson
Daily Wrap-up | The Live Report
Transcripts
Round Leaders Low round (par 70) Key links
Vaughn Taylor (-10) 65: Aron Price
Harrison Frazar
Daily Wrap-up | The Live Report
Transcripts | Round 2 notebook
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