CROMWELL, Conn. -- Paul Casey has come close each of the three previous times he has played in Connecticut. He has a great chance to break through today in the Travelers Championship.
Casey shot an 8-under 62 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead into the final round.
Casey, whose victory at Valspar in Florida in March was his first PGA Tour title in nine years, called the bogey-free round at TPC River Highlands his best of the year.
The Englishman had six birdies and an eagle -- at the signature par-4 15th hole -- where he hit his tee shot onto the green and then sank a 23-foot putt. He broke out of the pack hitting all 18 greens and has a streak of 23 consecutive heading into today. He was at 16-under 194.
"It was clinical," he said. "I did everything I wanted to do. I can't do any more than that."
Casey was second here during his first visit in 2015, came in 17th a year later and had a fifth-place finish in Cromwell a year ago.
Russell Henley was 12 under after a 67, and J.B. Holmes (65), Anirban Lahiri (65) and third-round leader Brian Harman (69) were 11 under.
Jason Day shot 66, and Bubba Watson 67, leaving them 10 under. Watson came from six back to the 2010 event and beat Casey in a playoff in 2015.
Watson would join Billy Casper as the only players to win this tournament more than twice. Casper won his fourth Connecticut title in 1973.
U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka shot a 69 to get to 4 under. Koepka said he plans to go right at every pin today, then take time off from golf before the British Open.
It was a bit of a squirrely round, quite literally, for Rory McIlroy.
His opening tee shot was delayed when a squirrel camped right in front of him in the tee box. McIlroy finally got the shot off, hitting it wide right and into the rough en route to a bogey.
McIlroy had an eagle at 15, but three-putted 18 for a bogey and a 69. He was tied for 15th place at 8 under.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth was 3 under after a 71. He opened 63-73.
David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) was 5 under after a 71. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) was 4 under after a 68. Ethan Tracy (Razorbacks) was 1 under after a 72.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
Toledo leads
MADISON, Wis. -- Esteban Toledo birdied four of the last six holes for a 6-under 66 and the second-round lead in the American Family Insurance Championship.
Five strokes behind tournament host Steve Stricker after an opening 69 in rain Friday at University Ridge, Toledo had six birdies in a bogey-free round to reach 9-under 135. The 55-year-old Mexican player won the last of his four PGA Tour Champions titles in 2016.
Defending champion Fred Couples (67), David Toms (66), Kent Jones (67) and Billy Mayfair (68) were a stroke back.
Bernhard Langer (69) was 8 under with Madison player Jerry Kelly (69), Scott McCarron (67), Mark Calcavecchia (68), Paul Goydos (68), Joey Sindelar (68), Glen Day of Little Rock (69) and Brad Bryant (72).
Stricker followed his opening 64 with a 74, ending his streak of Champions rounds under par at 30 -- the fourth-longest streak in tour history. John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) also was 6 under after a 70.
WEB.COM TOUR
Pinckney out front
Scott Pinckney retained his Friday lead on Saturday at the Web.com Tour's Wichita Open at Wichita, Kan. Pinckney was 12 under after a 67 to put him one stroke ahead of Sebastian Cappelen (Arkansas Razorbacks), who had a 66 going into today's final round.
Brady Schnell was alone in third place at 10 under after a 64. Cameron Champ (65) and Wes Roach (65) were tied for fourth at 8 under.
Tag Ridings (Razorbacks) was 2 under after a 68. Taylor Moore (Razorbacks) was even par after a 69.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Six share lead
PULHEIM, Germany -- Danish golfer Lucas Bjerregaard shot a 5-under 67 to equal the week's lowest round for a six-way share of the lead after the third round of the BMW International Open.
Bjerregaard had eight birdies, a double bogey and a bogey to finish on 5-under 211 -- jumping 23 places and joining local favorites Martin Kaymer and Maximilian Kieffer, England's Chris Paisley and Aaron Rai, and Australia's Scott Hend at the top of the leaderboard.
Bjerregaard was fortunate to play before the wind picked up again later in the afternoon.
Kaymer, the 2008 champion, delighted the home supporters with two birdies in his last three holes for a 71.
Finland's Mikko Korhonen and Chile's Nico Geyger were one shot off the lead after rounds of 69 and 73, respectively.
Defending champion Andres Romero equaled the week's best round (67) to be among a large group two shots off the lead going into today, including three-time European Tour winner Andy Sullivan.
Romero is bidding to be the first player to retain the title.
Sports on 06/24/2018