The Starter, Round 3: John Deere Classic

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Jul. 10, 2010
By PGA TOUR staff

The third round of the John Deere Classic tees off Saturday. Here's a preview:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
11:34 a.m. ET, No. 1		Zach Johnson, Charles Howell III Local-favorite Johnson still has a run in him, but will it be enough to erase a ten-shot deficit?
1:31 p.m. ET No. 1		Jeff Maggert, Matt Jones Both these players have a chance to catch the leaders, but they'll need to go very low to do it.
1:40 p.m. ET, No. 1		Steve Stricker, Paul Goydos After battling for highlights during the first two days, the leaders tee it up at TPC Deere Run side-by-side.

MORE ROUND 3: Tee times | Inside the field | Inside the course

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR NETWORK on-site correspondent Doug Bell previews Round 3:

It appears to be a two-man race heading into Saturday's third round of the John Deere Classic. Steve Stricker and Paul Goydos have been all-world, combining for 35 birdies (Stricker 18, Goydos 17) in the first two rounds.

They have completely dominated this beautiful layout along the banks of the Rock River, and will see each other for the first time on Saturday when they arrive at the range. It should be a heck of a sparring match with a huge gallery, although Stricker -- ranked No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking -- would have to be considered the favorite. While Goydos was out finishing his second round yesterday, Stricker was busy on the range practicing for nearly two hours. Little wonder why these guy's are so good!

Saturday's forecast

Sunny and clear
Temp: 86 high/66 low
Chance of precipitation 0 percent. Winds from WSW at around 10 mph.

It's always dangerous for players to get caught up in match play, especially with some capable and hungry talent behing them in the chase pack. Even more, TPC Deere Run is still playing soft and is still very vunerable to low scores.

Brendon de Jonge is a player who has quietly put together a solid year on the PGA TOUR, playing well at Quail Hollow and Muirfield Village along with a nice showing at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He reminds me of a young Craig Stadler with his physique and swing, and can get streaky-hot at times. I watched him on the range and he appears to be in a very good groove.

Aaron Baddeley was disappointed with his second-round 68, and he felt he left some shots on the course. Aaron has gotten away from the stack and tilt move, and his swing looks like it did several years ago when he won in Hilton Head.

I enjoyed chatting with three-time Quad Cities champion D.A. Weibring on Friday, who was in the gallery watching his son Matt, who made his first cut in three tries on the course his dad designed. At 6 under, Matt has put himself in position for his best finish of the year on the PGA TOUR. D.A. smiled when I asked him if he was planning any tweaks to the course after the low rounds from Thursday. He chuckled and explained that the scoring conditions were absolutely perfect! He designed this place for birdies to be made, and that's exactly what we have to look forward to.

As Satchel Paige used to say, "Don't look back, someone might be gaining on you."

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Ed Brill, head instructor at TOUR Academy Hilton Head Island, analyzes the playing conditions this week:

Wow. You shoot 59, almost get caught with by a 60 on the same day, and then can't hold the second-round lead . It just goes to show how good these guys really are. Nice to see PGA Club Professional Mike Small in the field. He's won the PGA Professional National Championship in back-to-back years and he's going to miss the cut with a T141. Did I say these guys are really good yet?

Interesting comments by Steve Stricker. He says he had trouble sleeping, and I can understand why: shoot 60 and finish in the near-dark. I've always thought the guys who go early on Thursday and late on Friday had an advantage. I realize they're not going several rounds in the MMA cage, but there is a lot of recovery time from early Thursday and late Friday. Stricker mentions that he always has trouble sleeping with the late early combo. He also said maybe that's why he shot six shots higher today, but surely that had to be with a little sarcasm. We do have to take care of our bodies and minds if we want to play our best.

At the TOUR Academies, we talk about a few things to get your day going properly. First, arrive alive. Get to the course plenty early, have a good breakfast, bring along nutritious snacks, maybe even do a few exercises before you leave the house. Second, get your motor running. Do some stretching to get loosened up, then warm up all areas of your game from driving to putting, going through your shot routines as if you were on the course. As you're warming up, identify your shot pattern and stick with the plan on the course, or in other words, "go with what you got." Save your training for later! Finally, expect greatness right off of the first tee. Don't fall in to that old saying of "takes three holes to warm up." Strike a solid first tee shot and you are on your way.

The Film Room

	Round 2 Highlights: John Deere Classic Steve Stricker shoots a 5-under 66 and has a 1-shot lead over Paul Goydos after the second round at TPC Deere Run. Watch it
	Shot of the Day, Round 2 Boo Weekley makes a long eagle putt at the par-4 14th hole during the second round. Watch it
	PGA TOUR Today, July 10, 2010 Steve Stricker takes the lead, but Paul Goydos, who is coming off an opening round 59, is just one shot back. Casey Black looks back at Round 2 and previews the weekend. Watch it