Brian Davis eyes maiden US PGA win going into final round of the Travelers

Published on 25/06/2012 01:38

England’s Brian Davis shared the lead on a much-changed leaderboard after a third-round 64 at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

The 37-year-old was level with American Roland Thatcher, who shot 65, as they both emerged from the chasing pack to pull two strokes clear at the summit.

John Rollins, James Driscoll and Stuart Appleby shared third on ten-under while Ireland’s Padraig Harrington shot 65 to join the group a further shot back. Overnight leader Fredrik Jacobsen slipped back to nine-under after a level-par 70 to remain locked together with Charley Hoffman, his nearest challenger along with Nathan Green when thunderstorms halted play on Friday. Australian Green finished the day six-under.

Davis made his move on the front nine on Saturday with three pairs of birdies. His one dropped shot, at the 13th, was cancelled out two holes later as he came home in level-par 35. The Londoner is still searching for his maiden PGA Tour win and is best known for calling a penalty on himself during a play-off with Jim Furyk at the 2010 Verizon Heritage, denying himself the chance of victory but earning widespread praise.

Thatcher would have finished in the outright lead but for a bogey at the 17th, having made six birdies in a previously unblemished round.

Rollins matched Thatcher’s five-under-par total despite a double bogey at the short eighth, also carding eight birdies and a bogey.

Driscoll eagled the par-four 15th in a 66 while Appleby’s solid 67 featured only one dropped shot, at the fifth.

Jacobsen, who for the second year running at this tournament had finished his second round leading on nine-under, took six at the par-four 10th and also made three bogeys, negating the effect of his five birdies. His total was matched by Hoffman, who was halted in full flow by yesterday’s early finish which came when he was on a run of five successive birdies. He slipped back to three-under for his second round and a third successive 67 left him three shots off the lead. The pair were joined on nine-under by Harrington, who made seven birdies in eight holes from the sixth in a vintage performance, Matt Kuchar, Tim Clark and Will Claxton.

The group at eight-under featured Masters champion and 2010 winner Bubba Watson, Camilo Villegas, Robert Karlsson and Chez Reavie, while Watson’s fellow reigning major winners Webb Simpson (US Open) and Keegan Bradley (US PGA) were seven-under and four-under respectively.

A secondary cut had to be applied after 88 players made the halfway cut, which came early on Saturday after Friday’s stoppage left 77 players to complete their second round.

First-round leader David Mathis was a surprise figure heading home a day early. The American started the tournament on Thursday with birdies either side of a hole in one, and was six-under after six holes, but followed his opening 64 with rounds of 73 and 74 to end his participation.