Crowded leaderboard should make for a fun finish to the U.S. Senior Open
PHOTOS BY Dougal Brownlie, The Gazette
The credits rolled on Saturday’s third round without a hint as to how this will end.
The Magnificent Seven will be back to wrap it up Sunday.
That’s right, seven players enter the final round of the U.S. Senior Open under par and bunched within three shots of the lead on The Broadmoor’s East Course.
The leader wishes it wasn’t so.
“I’m very disappointed,” said Jerry Kelly, who is in front at 4-under par but missed a pair of 2-foot putts on No. 12 to fall back into the mix. “I could have put some distance, there’s no question. Those were two shots right there that just shouldn’t have happened.”
David Toms snuck into second place, one stroke back at 3-under, with a bogey-free 66 that tied for the day’s low round.
Miguel Angel Jimenez chips from the bunker of the second hole during the third round at the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor East Course on Saturday. Jimenez is tied for fifth at 1-under par.
Kelly briefly ceded the lead to his college teammate Tim Petrovic, who gave it back with three bogeys in the final four holes and is now tied with Kirk Triplett at 2-under, two strokes back in third.
Petrovic had played 27 bogey-free holes before his rough patch, which memorably included a young fan picking up his ball after an errant drive on No. 17.
Jay Haas and Paul Goydos and their caddies make their way to the 16th green as clouds gather in the third round of the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor East Course on Saturday.
Brandt Jobe, Paul Goydos and Miguel Angel Jimenez are each at 1-under, arriving there from all directions after shooting 66, 70 and 73, respectively, on Saturday.
David Toms celebrates his birdie putt on the 13th green during the third round at the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor East Course on Saturday, June 30, 2018 in
“I’m sure it will be a shootout tomorrow,” said Toms, who won on the Front Range in 1999 by capturing The International at Castle Pines. “There are a lot of guys that are going to be close to the lead, and anybody can put up a round like I did today and get right back in the golf tournament.”
Of course, a twist could await. Davis Love III is one of three players at even-par. Three more, including Colin Montgomerie, are at 1-over.
Love and Montgomerie haven’t earned a combined $67 million in their careers without finding a way to earn some money on Sundays.
Yes, this should be interesting. And if the closing moments of Saturday were any indication, it could be fun.
Petrovic was finishing his post-round press conference when the moderator asked if there were any more questions.
“I have one,” Kelly, his college teammate, shouted from the back of the room. “Can you sing the University of Hartford fight song, please?”
Petrovic, who was a year ahead of Kelly, adopted an upperclassman’s condescending tone in explaining to Kelly that Hartford doesn’t have a fight song because it doesn’t have a football team. He then told the room about the white lies used to recruit Kelly. Kelly was apparently first told he could play hockey as well as golf if he attended Hartford. Then he was told it was just a club hockey team. Then he was told the truth, that there was no hockey team at all.
“That is exactly the way it went,” Kelly confirmed.
“Something like that,” Petrovic said.
“My parents were in on it,” Kelly joked.
Petrovic then departed, with the longtime friends — separated by two strokes atop the leader board — exchanging pleasantries.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Petrovic said.
Sounds magnificent.
