Watson Grabs Share of Third-Round Lead in Colonial
May 25, 1998 - 0:0
FORT WORTH, Texas Tom Watson flashed out of the pack with a 5-under-par 65 Saturday to grab a share of the lead with Rookie Harrison Frazar and Veteran Jim Furyk after three rounds of the mastercard colonial. Watson, 48, flirting with a 34th PGA title, birdied four of the final eight holes and rode his back-nine 31 to a 54-hole total of 199, 11 under par for three trips around the course immortalized by five-time champion Ben Hogan. ``I'll just take tomorrow as it comes,'' Watson said in assessing his chances for his first PGA victory since the memorial in 1996.
Equally amazing was the performance of Frazar, the former university of texas sharpshooter who emerged from obscurity last week to tie for second at the GTE Byron Nelson classic. Frazar carded a 68 after earlier rounds of 64 and 67 to forge the three-way deadlock entering Sunday's showdown for the top prize of $414,000. Furyk, meanwhile, rolled in a Birdie putt on the final hole for a 66 in his bid for a third tour title.
His PGA tour victories were the 1995 Las Vegas invitational and the united airlines Hawaiian open. Jeff Sluman, the 1988 PGA champion, fired a 66 and was all alone at 200, a stroke off the pace but two ahead of Kenny Perry and Rocco Mediate. Perry shot a 69 and mediate a 67 on Saturday. Watson got off to an erratic start with Birdie-Bogey-Birdie-Bogey on the first four holes, but made the turn at 34 and then caught fire at the par-5 11th with a 2-putt Birdie. He Birdied 14, 15 and 18 and overtook Frazar, who missed the 17th green, chipped poorly and missed his par putt to drop to 11-under and into the eventual tie.
Furyk made his charge with a string of four straight birdies, beginning at the par-4 fifth hole, known as Death Valley, and capped his comeback with the Birdie at No. 18. Mark Calcavechhia, who started the day just two back, took the lead at 11-under at one point, but stumbled on the closing nine and wound up with a 70 for 203.
He was tied at that point with former colonial champion Bruce Lietze, who fashioned a 67 on Saturday, and John Cook, last week's Nelson Champion, who had a 69. (AP)
Equally amazing was the performance of Frazar, the former university of texas sharpshooter who emerged from obscurity last week to tie for second at the GTE Byron Nelson classic. Frazar carded a 68 after earlier rounds of 64 and 67 to forge the three-way deadlock entering Sunday's showdown for the top prize of $414,000. Furyk, meanwhile, rolled in a Birdie putt on the final hole for a 66 in his bid for a third tour title.
His PGA tour victories were the 1995 Las Vegas invitational and the united airlines Hawaiian open. Jeff Sluman, the 1988 PGA champion, fired a 66 and was all alone at 200, a stroke off the pace but two ahead of Kenny Perry and Rocco Mediate. Perry shot a 69 and mediate a 67 on Saturday. Watson got off to an erratic start with Birdie-Bogey-Birdie-Bogey on the first four holes, but made the turn at 34 and then caught fire at the par-5 11th with a 2-putt Birdie. He Birdied 14, 15 and 18 and overtook Frazar, who missed the 17th green, chipped poorly and missed his par putt to drop to 11-under and into the eventual tie.
Furyk made his charge with a string of four straight birdies, beginning at the par-4 fifth hole, known as Death Valley, and capped his comeback with the Birdie at No. 18. Mark Calcavechhia, who started the day just two back, took the lead at 11-under at one point, but stumbled on the closing nine and wound up with a 70 for 203.
He was tied at that point with former colonial champion Bruce Lietze, who fashioned a 67 on Saturday, and John Cook, last week's Nelson Champion, who had a 69. (AP)