Chez Reavie will take a six-point lead into the final round of the Barracuda Championship as he goes in search of his first victory in three years.
In the Modified Stableford event, the American started the day at Tahoe Mountain Club three ahead on 28 points.
He made a slow start to the day with five consecutive pars but carded birdies on the sixth and seventh holes, worth two points each. After the turn he carded three birdies in five holes and ended his round with a nine-point total after a bogey on the 15th, his first of the week, finishing the day on 37 points after three rounds.
“I hit the ball really well today for most of the day," the 40-year-old said. "Didn't really make many putts, had a lot of good looks and fortunately made a few in the middle and hit some bad shots coming in and was able to save some pars. Wasn't quite all together today but did everything well at different times.
“I've given myself a lot of looks every day. When I shot nine-under I made a lot of putts. Today I didn't quite make as many. The first day I didn't quite make as many. The first day I made an eagle which kind of saved me, and then I had that chip-in when I shot nine-under which saved me. Just looking to hit it in the fairways, knock it on the greens and give myself some looks.”
Scotsman Martin Laird, who last won on the PGA TOUR in 2020, is solo second on 31 points after scoring 13 with seven birdies and one bogey.
Alex Noren, a member of Europe’s victorious 2018 Ryder Cup side, is in a share of third with Australia’s Cam Davis on 28 points. Noren is the highest placed of the 50 DP World Tour members who were provided an opportunity to play in California this week.
The Swede matched his 12-point total from Friday with seven birdies and two bogeys, two of his gains coming on the 16th and 17th holes as he made a late move up the leaderboard.
“Pretty much like yesterday, pretty good from the tee, pretty good coming into the greens and got my putting going like yesterday," said Noren.
“I played pretty good, I thought, and then I think I made a mistake on the two bogeys like with the clubs. Hit the wrong club I think on the seventh hole. It's so much downwind, and you can't get over the number somehow that you're hitting it so far with the wedges. Then on 12, I don't know what I tried to do. I had the right club and then tried to kind of squeeze one into the green and caught the trees and made a bogey.
“But I told myself if I birdie two of the last four, I'm going to be happy, and I did. Yeah, it's a fun game this with the birdies meaning a lot. You get momentum from it.”
His compatriot Henrik Norlander and American Brice Garnett round out the top five on 27 points.
In the Modified Stableford format, albatrosses are worth eight points, eagles are worth five and birdies are worth two. Pars award no points, with one point deducted for a bogey and three for a double bogey or worse.
