GOLF ROUNDUP

Snedeker stays in 60s to share lead with Hahn

PGA Tour golfer Brandt Snedeker (above) ran off four consecutive birdies Saturday at Pebble Beach for a 4-under-par 68 that gave him a share of the third-round lead with rookie James Hahn.
PGA Tour golfer Brandt Snedeker (above) ran off four consecutive birdies Saturday at Pebble Beach for a 4-under-par 68 that gave him a share of the third-round lead with rookie James Hahn.

— Brandt Snedeker had his ninth consecutive round in the 60s Saturday. One more like that and he might really have reason to celebrate.

Snedeker ran off four consecutive birdies at Pebble Beach for a 4-under-par 68, giving him a share of the lead with 31-year-old rookie James Hahn going into the final round of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

A runner-up in consecutive weeks to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, this time the spotlight belongs to Snedeker.

“You never know what tomorrow holds, but I feel like I’m in great position, and I’m going to be surely more prepared, no matter who is around me in the last group,” Snedeker said. “I’m probably going to have the most experience of anybody in those last couple groups of winning a golf tournament.”

Hahn had a 66 at Spyglass Hill, making birdie on the last three holes to join Snedeker at 12-under 202. Chris Kirk birdied his last hole at Monterey Peninsula for a 64 and was one shot behind the leaders. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot a bogey-free 69 at Monterey Peninsula with one birdie to make the cut of 1-under 213 by a stroke. Tag Ridings, John Daly and David Lingmerth missed the cut. Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 73 with two birdies, a bogey and a double bogey to finish at 214. Daly (Dardanelle, Razorbacks) also shot a 73 with three birdies and four bogeys to finish at 220. Lingmerth (Razorbacks) had an 81 with two birdies, six bogeys and a double bogey for a 226.

For all the celebrity antics that are part of the Saturday show at Pebble Beach, the video most likely to go viral belonged to Mickelson. The defending champion took a spill on the rocks below the 18th fairway. Mickelson was looking to see if his tee shot could be found - and played - when his right foot gave way and he landed hard on his backside, bracing the fall with his hands.

“I got lucky,” Mickelson said. “I didn’t get hurt.”

Not physically, anyway. Mickelson hit his next shot into the Pacific Ocean and had to scramble for a triple bogey, leaving him 11 shots behind and ending his hopes of a record-tying fifth victory at Pebble Beach.

Snedeker hasn’t had a better chance to win all year. He was seven shots behind Woods and six shots behind Mickelson going into the final round. Now he is tied with Hahn, who until now was best known for “Gangnam Style” celebration of his birdie on the 16th hole at the Phoenix Open.

“He’s been playing great golf these last couple of weeks ... and it looks like this could be his week,” Mickelson said of Snedeker. “But final round at Pebble Beach, a lot of things happen and he has to play one more good round. I know he has it in him, but he still has to go do it.”

Snedeker, who missed two birdie putts inside 10 feet early in the round, began his big run with a 3-wood up the hill and onto the green at the par-5 sixth for a two-putt birdie. He followed with a 10-foot birdie on the seventh, and then hit two of his best shots on two of the toughest holes at Pebble Beach - a 7-iron over a corner of the ocean to about 5 feet below the hole on the eighth, and a baby cut with an 8-iron that plopped down 4 feet away for a birdie on the ninth.

He didn’t make many putts the rest of the way, however, and had to settle for a 68.

Snedeker’s streak started with a 69-69 weekend on the South Course at Torrey Pines. In his past nine rounds, his average score is 67.8. The difference has been his driving, which went from a weakness to strength late last summer when he won the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup.

He might be the hottest player in golf - except for winning.

“You want to win any time you have a chance because you don’t know how many times you’re going to get that in a year,” Snedeker said. “I’ve had a couple chances the last couple weeks- haven’t been the best chances. And this week, I have a great chance going into tomorrow. And you need to capitalize on those chances.”

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Mediate leads by 3

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Rocco Mediate shot an 11-under-par 61 Saturday, setting a course record and building a three-shot lead over Tom Pernice Jr. heading into the final round of the Allianz Championship.

Mediate is trying to become the 16th player to win his first start on the Champions Tour. He won six times on the PGA Tour and is probably best remembered for losing a playoff to Tiger Woods in the 2008 U.S. Open.

Mediate had five consecutive birdies on the front nine, highlighted by a drive to the green at the par-4 seventh hole. He added three more birdies after the turn and closed with a birdie at the 17th and a 10-foot eagle at the 18th.

It was the lowest round of Mediate’s career, one better than his 62 at Colonial in 2001, and it snapped the tournament record of 63 set by Craig Stadler in 2007. Mediate’s total of 128 through two rounds was three better than the 36-hole mark of 131 shared by Tim Simpson and Tommy Armour III.

“It has to be my best round I’ve played in a long time,” Mediate said. “Obviously, it was my lowest. I haven’t made that many putts in a long, long time. Feeling that again was cool. I haven’t feltthat in a while.”

Pernice also had a strong day on the Old Course at Broken Sound, posting a 65 after beginning the day in a tie for the lead. Bernhard Langer, who won here in 2010, shot a 67 and is five back at 11-under 133. David Frost (65) is alone in fourth at 135.

EUROPEAN TOUR Two-man show

JOHANNESBURG - South African duo Richard Sterne and Trevor Fisher Jr. each shot a 4-under-par 68 to move five shots ahead of the field at the Joburg Open on Saturday.

Both birdied the final hole for a 19-under 196 at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC.

Felipe Aguilar (68), Jaco van Zyl (67) and George Coetzee (70) and two-time tournament winner Charl Schwartzel (68) trail at 14 under.

Sports, Pages 34 on 02/10/2013

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