Chad Campbell birdied the final hole to claim a share of the lead alongside Scott Piercy on Saturday after three rounds of the PGA Tour’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Campbell, who shared the overnight lead, carded a four-under par 67 while Piercy shot a 65 for a 17-under total of 196.
The leaders could be benefitting from a little local knowledge.
Campbell played collegiate golf for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Piercy is a Las Vegas native and still lives in Sin City.
Piercy opened with a birdie, and thrust himself into contention with back-to-back birdies at nine and 10.
He picked up another stroke at the par-five 13th, then nabbed another brace at 15 and 16 to join Campbell atop the leaderboard.
Campbell edged ahead again with a birdie of his own at 15, but made a hash of the 16th before closing with a birdie to regain a share of the lead.
Campbell’s round was highlighted by an eagle at the 12th, where his second shot from some 130 yards landed 2m in front of the hole and rolled in for an eagle.
He went on to birdie 13 and 15, before running into trouble at the par-five 16th.
His six-iron second shot from the fairway was short and fell back into the water.
He took a drop, knocked his fourth shot over the green and then pitched five feet past the hole before missing the putt to settle for a double bogey.
■PORTUGAL MASTERS
AFP, VILAMOURA, PORTUGAL
South Africa’s Retief Goosen was poised on Saturday to end a two-year European Tour victory drought after he moved a shot clear of the field with a round to play at the Portugal Masters.
Goosen, 40, turned in his second straight round of 64 to move onto 196, a stroke clear of Italian Francesco Molinari.
■CHINA CLASSIC
AP, SHUNDE, CHINA
Liang Wenchong of China won the China Classic by four strokes yesterday after shooting a 3-under 68.
Liang, who won the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2007, had four birdies and a bogey to total 14-under 270 at the Royal Orchid International Golf Club.
Zhang Lianwei of China (69) was runner-up at the One Asia Tour event.
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