CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Chez Reavie was plodding along during the third round of the Travelers Championship, watching playing partner Zach Sucher extend his lead.
Then came the turn, both for the round and in the fortunes of the two players.
Coming off a third-place tie last week in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, the 37-year-old Reavie matched a tournament record with a back-nine 28 to shoot a 7-under 63. He took advantage of Sucher’s problems and turned a six-stroke deficit into a six-stroke lead heading into today’s final round.
The 2008 Canadian Open winner for his lone PGA Tour title, Reavie had a 16-under 194 total at TPC River Highlands. He birdied Nos. 8, 10-13, 15 and 17-18 and has the largest 54-hole lead in Travelers history.
“Zach got some tough breaks early,” Reavie said. “I was able to kind of keep plugging along and make a few putts and the rest was history. I kind of caught fire at the end.”
Sucher had a 71 to drop into a tie for second with Keegan Bradley (69) at 10 under.
Roberto Diaz (67) and Jason Day (68) were tied for fourth, seven shots back. But Day said he does not think that’s an insurmountable deficit on course where Bubba Watson overcame a six-stroke final-round deficit a year ago.
“There are a lot of emotions that come with Sundays, but I think Chez has been there and won before,” Day said. “But every win is different and how you feel is different, so I just try to stick to what I am doing right now, and hopefully, the chips fall my way.”
Brooks Koepka, coming off his runner-up finish at Pebble Beach, shot a 72 and was 1 under.
“It’s hard to focus,” Koepka said. “I don’t think I am even over the PGA and then to exert all your energy last week — I’m just fried. I caught myself yawning out on the golf course. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before.”
Watson was looking for his fourth win in Connecticut to tie the record of Billy Casper. He closed his round of 73 with about a 25-foot putt for birdie to move to 2 under.
“That’s how golf is,” Watson said. “You don’t like golf and then you make that long putt and you’re ready to play the next day. I’d love to shoot that Jim Furyk round (58) just to have a chance.”
American Family Insurance Championship
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Steve Flesch birdied the final three holes for a 7-under 65 and the second-round lead Saturday in the American Family Insurance Championship, with tournament host Steve Stricker a stroke back in his hometown tournament.
The 52-year-old Flesch played the back nine at University Ridge in 5-under 31 to reach 11-under 133. He won the 2018 Mitsubishi Electric Classic for his lone PGA Tour Champions title after winning four times on the PGA Tour.
Stricker eagled the par-5 16th in a 67. Billy Andrade (66) and Duffy Waldorf (67) also were 10 under. First-round leader Jerry Kelly, also from Madison, shot a 70 to drop into a tie for fifth at 9 under with Retief Goosen (66) and Tom Pernice (67).
John Daly was four strokes back at 7 under after a 69, and defending champion Scott McCarron had a 67 to get to 6 under.
Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz was last in the 78-man field at 10 over after rounds of 76 and 78. Making his third tour start, the former Atlanta Braves star got into the field on a sponsor exemption.
BMW International Open
MUNICH — Jordan Smith carded a bogey-free 6-under 66 Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the BMW International Open.
Smith is chasing his second European Tour win and a second in Germany after winning the 2017 European Open. The Englishman is at 13-under 203 after three rounds, one shot ahead of compatriot Matthew Fitzpatrick and Austrian Matthias Schwab, who both shot 65.
Defending champion Matt Wallace of England and Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa were a shot further back.
Overnight leader Martin Kaymer (75) had a round to forget after four bogeys left him in a group of five players five shots behind Smith.
