Aaron Baddeley shoots 66 to take Puerto Rico Open lead

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Badds was good Saturday in Puerto Rico.

Aaron Baddeley shot a bogey free 6-under-par 66 and, at 12-under, leads by one heading into Sunday’s final round at the Puerto Rico Open.

Baddeley (70-68-66) has won four times on the PGA TOUR – his last win came in 2016 at another opposite-field event, the Barbasol Championship – and said he’s excited for the opportunity Sunday will bring.

“Super excited,” he said. “I'm right in everything, so it's a good opportunity tomorrow, but will try not to put any pressure on (myself). I just know if I can go out there and play my game, keep swinging the way I'm swinging, putting the way I'm putting, I should have a good chance coming down the last.”

Baddeley is looking to join countryman Marc Leishman (CIMB Classic) as Australian winners in the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season. His best result this year was a T-4 at the Safeway Open.

He said the key to his round Saturday was hitting greens, which made for a low-stress Saturday.

“I hit the ball close a few times. I had some short birdie putts. I’ve just doing a few things like that (that) made it pretty comfortable,” he said.

The only thing out-of-routine for Baddeley on Saturday came when a young fan ran under the ropes to get a photo with him. The Australian smiled when the young fan’s father asked, and he kindly obliged. It didn’t distract him, he said, and he enjoyed the moment.

“It was all fun and games,” he said.

Baddeley will be paired with Nate Lashley for Sunday’s final round.

Lashley (68-68-69) made birdie on the 72nd hole to earn a spot in the final group for the first time on the PGA TOUR.

It was odd start to the day for Lashley going bogey-eagle-bogey on the first three holes. He righted the ship, he said, and finishing with a birdie means momentum for Sunday’s finale.

Lashley is no stranger to winning in the Caribbean.

His lone Web.com Tour victory came at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship – which is now a PGA TOUR event – and said that experience was going to help on Sunday, although he acknowledged the magnitude of being in the final group on the PGA TOUR.

“This is a lot bigger deal,” he admitted. “Any time you get a chance to win on any tour, it's great. Going into tomorrow, I'm just going to try to go out and keep calm and play some good golf and see what happens at the end of the day.”

Martin Trainer finished a shot further back at 10-under. He won twice on the Web.com Tour in 2018 to earn his PGA TOUR card via The 25.

A group of five golfers sits at 9-under, including Wyndham Clark, Johnson Wagner, D.J. Trahan, Martin Piller, and Joey Garber.

Garber and Boo Weekley tied for the low round of the day – 7-under-par 65, also the round of the tournament so far – and Garber, who is in the penultimate Sunday pairing, said he was excited for a chance to earn his first PGA TOUR victory.

“There's nothing better than playing late on Sunday on the PGA TOUR,” he said. “I'm very fortunate to be in the position I'm in and look forward to getting that competitive juice going tomorrow.”