Three-way tie at Safeway Open
Brian Stuard. Picture: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Brian Stuard, James Hahn and Cameron Percy have a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Safeway Open in California.
Stuard fire a six-under 66, Hahn a 67 and Percy a 68 to leave them one clear of Kristoffer Ventura (66), overnight leader Sam Burns (72) and Harry Higgs (70) who had an albatross on the ninth to close out a 62 on Friday.
Former Open champion Stuart Cink (47) is lurking just two shots off the leader after a 65 as he bids to become the oldest to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson (48) at 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Third-Round Leaderboard
Brian Stuard 67-67-66—200 (-16)
James Hahn 68-65-67—200 (-16)
Cameron Percy 64-68-68—200 (-16)
Things to Know
2016 Zurich Classic of New Orleans champion Brian Stuard seeks second PGA TOUR title in his 251st start
James Hahn is playing on a Major Medical Extension following an elbow injury
Cameron Percy is the only co-leader with a top-10 finish at the Safeway Open (T7/2019)
Kristoffer Ventura is one of nine players within three strokes of the lead seeking first TOUR title
Phil Mickelson posts consecutive bogey-free rounds for the first time since 2016
Four third-round leaders/co-leaders at the Safeway Open have gone on to win (Troy Matteson/2009, Rocco Mediate/2010, Sangmoon Bae/2014, Cameron Champ/2019
Brian Stuard (T1/-16)
Posts six birdies en route to bogey-free 6-under 66; required 26 putts in each of the first three rounds
Seeking second PGA TOUR victory in his 251st start; defeated Byeong Hun An and Jamie Lovemark in a playoff to win weather-shortened 2016 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Begins 2020-21 season having advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs six of last eight previous seasons, including the last three (finishing 2018/86th, 2019/82nd and 2020/87th)
Making eighth appearance at Safeway Open, with T17 at last year’s event his best result
Best score in 24 rounds at Safeway Open before this week was 69 (three times)
James Hahn (T1/-16)
Playing on a Major Medical Extension following an elbow injury, entered the 2019-20 season with 17 events to earn 305 FedExCup points to regain full exempt status
Seeks third PGA TOUR title (2015 The Genesis Invitational, 2016 Wells Fargo Championship)
Sits No. 526 in Official World Golf Ranking; career high was No. 52 following the 2016 AT&T Byron Nelson
Making fifth appearance at Safeway Open, with a T41 in 2015 his best result
Cameron Percy (T1/-16)
Tied with Kevin Streelman for most birdies through 54 holes (20)
One of nine players within three strokes of the lead seeking first PGA TOUR win
Comes off a T7 finish in last year’s Safeway Open, his lone top-10 finish of the season
Best finish on TOUR is a P2 at the 2010 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in his first season on TOUR
Winner of the 2014 Price Cutter Charity Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour and five events on PGA TOUR of Australasia
Kristoffer Ventura (T4/-15)
Kristoffer Ventura (T4/-15) recorded seven 3s on the front nine, highlighted with eagle-3 at par-5 ninth hole, but not a single 3 on the back nine en route to his second consecutive 66
Recorded four top-25s in 16 starts in his PGA TOUR rookie season of 2019-20 (T18/Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, T20/Puerto Rico Open, T21/Rocket Mortgage Classic, T19/Barracuda Championship)
Born in Mexico to a Mexican father and Norwegian mother, represented Norway in two World Amateur Championships
Finished his senior season at Oklahoma State University in 2018, helping the No. 1-ranked Cowboys to the NCAA Championship, beating Alabama to earn the program’s 11th all-time national championship
Miscellaneous Notes
36-hole leader Sam Burns (T4/-15) mixed three birdies with three bogeys for even-par 72 to sit one stroke back
Harry Higgs (T4/-15) required a greater number of putts (29) in the third round despite holing more total feet of putts (81’2”) compared to rounds one (26/68’4”) and two (24/70’11”)
2015 Safeway Open champion Emiliano Grillo (T7/-14) birdied four of the last five holes for 7-under 65, the same score he recorded in the third round en route to victory at this event in 2015
Bogey-free 65 for Stewart Cink (T7/-14) included a front-nine 30, his first time with front-nine 30 or better since 2018 Travelers Championship (R4/29); with a victory on Sunday, 47-year-old would become oldest to win on TOUR since Phil Mickelson (48) at 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
First-round leader Russell Knox (T7/-14) remains bogey-free through 54 holes, as does Mark Anderson (T43/-8)
8-under 64 by sponsor exemption Sahith Theegala (T12/-13) marks his career-low score in his 15th round on TOUR
After opening with 72, Kevin Streelman’s (T12/-13) 66-65 in rounds two and three mark his two lowest scores in 35 rounds at the Safeway Open
Phil Mickelson (T43/-8) posts 2-under 70 for consecutive bogey-free rounds, the first time since 2016 The American Express where he has posted back-to-back bogey-free rounds in an event on TOUR; on a current streak of 42 consecutive holes without a bogey, Mickelson’s most consecutive holes played without a bogey (in the ShotLink era) in a PGA TOUR event is 49 (2004 The Open Championship/No. 18 in R1 – No. 12 in R4)
