Compton grabs share of Humana lead

LA QUINTA, Calif. – Erik Compton’s inspiring life story is well-documented. The two-time heart transplant recipient could be known by a new title Sunday evening: PGA TOUR winner.

He’ll have to overcome a crowded leaderboard to do so, though. Compton is one of four players who hold the 54-hole lead at the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation. Compton is tied at 17-under with Bill Haas, Justin Thomas and Michael Putnam. Haas is the only co-leader with a PGA TOUR victory; his five TOUR titles include the 2010 Humana.

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Another four players – Matt Kuchar, Ryan Palmer, Scott Pinckney and Steve Wheatcroft – are one shot off the lead.

Compton continues to make progress in his professional career after having a second heart transplant in 2008. He finished runner-up at last year’s U.S. Open to earn his first MastersTournament bid. He’s played the previous three seasons on the PGA TOUR – finishing a career-best 64th in last season’s FedExCup – after winning on the Web.com Tour in 2011.

“I think every day has been a blessing,” Compton said. “I’m constantly reminded of what I’ve gone through and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about what I’ve been through or what I’ve had to deal with.”

Three of Compton’s four career top-10s came last season, including the U.S. Open that gave him the confidence that he could contend on the PGA TOUR.

“(I’m) probably more at ease with myself and not really feeling like I have to prove anything,” he said. “Confidence is huge in this game.”

UNUSUAL FINISH: Matt Kuchar fell out of the lead after a watery finish to his third round. Kuchar hit a shot into the water on each of the final two holes en route to bogeys. He also made bogey on the 15th hole. His 1-under 71 on Saturday left him one shot back of the four co-leaders. Kuchar has five consecutive top-25 finishes at this event, including a runner-up to co-leader Bill Haas in 2010.

Kuchar’s tee shot on the short par-3 17th bounced off the mountain right of the hole, bounded across the green and into the canal that lines to the left of the hole. His second shot at the par-5 18th landed on land left of the green before bouncing into the water.

“The beauty about the game is we have four rounds and I have another chance tomorrow,” Kuchar said. “Regardless if I birdied 18 or parred 18, … I still have to make a lot of birdies tomorrow and I may have to make a couple more now, but it will be fun to still have a chance tomorrow.”

Kuchar is coming off a third-place finish at last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii.

ROOKIE REPEAT: Justin Thomas is in the final group on the weekend for the second consecutive event. He played in Saturday’s final group at the Sony Open en route to a T6 finish. Now he’ll play in the Humana Challenge’s final threesome, alongside Bill Haas and Erik Compton.

Thomas opened last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii with 67-61 to share the 36-hole lead with Matt Kuchar and Webb Simpson. Thomas closed with consecutive rounds of even-par 70.

Now Thomas shares the lead entering the Humana’s final round after shooting 68-63-68. He said last week confirmed for him the importance of patience.

“I really played pretty poorly on the weekend last week and I managed my game very well for how poorly I played,” Thomas said. “I think that me from last year … would have shot some pretty high numbers on the weekend as opposed to two even-pars.

“Especially on courses like this, you never know when you’re going to reel off seven birdies in a row, so you just need to stay patient.”

Thomas has finished 4th, 23rd and 6thin his past three TOUR starts. The rookie is 38th in the FedExCup.

HAAS A SURPRISE CONTENDER?: Bill Haas told his wife before the Humana Challenge that he wasn’t optimistic about his chances. Forget his good history here, including a win in 2010. He hadn’t played a tournament since the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in early November. It was one of only two starts since the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.

“When I came out here last Wednesday, I literally was knocking rust off,” he said. “I was unsure of how I would be able to score out here and so obviously (I’m) very pleased to be anywhere near the lead.”

Haas visits the area during the offseason to work with instructor Billy Harmon and prepare for the upcoming year with father Jay, who is playing the first Champions Tour event of the season this week. Among those in Bill Haas’ gallery this week is his great-uncle, Bob Goalby, the 1968 Masters champion.

Bill won his first TOUR title at the 2010 Humana Challenge. He now has five wins but last season was his first without a victory since 2009. Bill also was runner-up at the 2011 Humana and finished sixth in this event last year.

CALL OF THE DAY: Will Haskett of PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.COM calls Justin Thomas' approach to the 16th hole Saturday at the Humana Challenge.

Live coverage from PGA West will stream Sunday from 1-7 p.m. ET on PGATOUR.COM.

PUTNAM SEEKS PAIR OF WINS: Michael Putnam is hoping for two big victories. The first would be a win Sunday at the Humana Challenge, followed by a win by his beloved Seattle Seahawks at the Super Bowl.

Putnam holds the 54-hole lead for the first time, though he shares it with three other players. He finished a career-best fourth in his first TOUR event as a pro, the 2005 Travelers Championship, and matched that with a T4 at last season’s RBC Canadian Open.

“This is new territory for me, but I’m looking forward to embracing it and playing really good tomorrow,” he said. “Ideally, it would be to win (next week in Phoenix, site of the Super Bowl), but winning anywhere, I’ll take it.”

PHIL'S MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Phil Mickelson went low during the windiest conditions at PGA West’s Palmer Private Course. He couldn’t keep it up after it got calm, though.

Mickelson shot 4-under 32 on his first nine holes Saturday, but was even par on the back nine after making three birdies, three bogeys and three pars. He’s at 11-under 205 after shooting 68 on Saturday and tied for 34th place.

“It was a round of opportunity,” Mickelson said. “I had a number of chances to really go low and didn’t quite put it together.”

He hit 14 of 18 greens Saturday, and his strokes gained-tee-to-green was 2.45, compared to -0.23 strokes gained-putting. His ball-striking Saturday was much better than the average TOUR player, but his putting was slightly worse than the typical TOUR pro.

This is Mickelson’s first start since he withdrew halfway through the BMW Championship in September. He is scheduled to play the next two weeks at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, near his alma mater, Arizona State, and at his hometown Farmers Insurance Open. He’s won each event three times.

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