Third round: Johnson goes low, Sabbatini takes lead

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Rory Sabbatini fired out a 7-under 63 to take the 54-hole lead in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- South Africa's Rory Sabbatini birdied the final hole for a 7-under 63 and a one-stroke lead over Zach Johnson on Saturday in the Texas Open.

RELATED LINKS

Leaderboard: Saturday
Sabbatini's scorecard
Video: PGA TOUR Today recap
Audio: Saturday podcast
Final-round tee times
Projected money list
Photos: Saturday

Sabbatini, a four-time tour winner who lives in Southlake outside Dallas, had an eagle and four birdies for a back-nine 29 on the La Cantera Golf Club's Resort Course. Winless since the 2007 Colonial in Fort Worth, he had a 14-under 196 total.

"It's fun to play a course where you actually know where the ball is going. It's been a frustrating year, but this feels good," Sabbatini said.

Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, shot a bogey-free 62, playing the front nine in 5-under 30. He has three PGA TOUR victories but has only one top-10 finish this year and entered the week 125th on the money list.

"Some of my best rounds have come with limited confidence," Johnson said. "I didn't have high expectations coming in. But when I've played well, I've putted well and that was the case today."

Tim Wilkinson (63), 1997 winner Tim Herron (67) and second-round leader Chris Stroud (69) were 11 under, and Mark Wilson (66), Joe Ogilvie (67), Michael H. Thompson (67), Jeff Overton (67) and Tim Petrovic (68) followed at 10 under.

Defending champion Justin Leonard, seeking a record fourth victory in the event, was 7 under after a 64.

"There's still a lot of golf to be played, but it's going to take another round like this or better to have a chance tomorrow," Leonard said.

TRIVIA QUESTION

Defending champion -- and three-time winner of the Valero Texas Open -- Justin Leonard shot a third-round 6-under 64 Saturday at La Cantera to make a move up the leaderboard after mediocre first and second rounds of 70 and 69, respectively. In Leonard's decorated history at this tournament, what is the lowest round he has shot? See the answer at the bottom of the page

Saturday's Best

EASIEST HOLE TOUGHEST HOLE The par-5, 527-yard 14th was easiest with a Saturday scoring average of 4.507. EAGLES: 3 BIRDIES: 32 PARS: 39 BOGEYS: 1 OTHERS: 0 The par-4, 460-yard 10th was toughest with a Saturday scoring average of 4.400. EAGLES: 0 BIRDIES: 8 PARS: 37 BOGEYS: 24 OTHERS: 6

SHOT OF THE DAY ROUND OF THE DAY With a quick spin into the back door, Jeff Overton chipped in for birdie from off the green, about 15 feet from the pin, on the par-4 eighth hole en route to a 67. Watch his shot. Zach Johnson vaulted into contention during the third round. His bogey-free, 8-under 62 put him into solo second, one shot off the lead. Check out his scorecard

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Struggling as much as I did through the major part of year really, I think is -- I wouldn't say it taught me a lesson but it definitely helped me to learn from it and appreciate, you know, when you may not be hitting as good as you want to but still hitting it good to be appreciative of that." -- 54-hole leader Rory Sabbatini on the difficult year he has had on TOUR

PATIENCE IS KEY FOR JOHNSON, ESPECIALLY OFF THE COURSE
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

SAN ANTONIO -- The idea of 25 feet of water rushing through downtown Cedar Rapids?

Johnson

Mind boggling.

So was the island it created -- five blocks by six blocks -- where his father's clinic still stands. His mother's office? Destroyed.

Zach Johnson shook his head.

"I'm from Iowa,'' he said. "Nothing ever usually happens there.''

Yet it did. The damage in his hometown alone is estimated at $2 billion in a town of less than 200,000. And yes, it's still bad. Which is why during this time of hurricanes, wars, an acrimonious election and an economic tsunami, he threw a fund raiser a few weeks ago where he raised $350,000 and kept the awareness going.

He knows it will take years. And years of patience. But that, he said, is why they're still fighting.

Johnson understands. A year ago, he slipped on the Green Jacket and joined the club -- the major club. Then he won his second AT&T Classic. He finished second to Tiger Woods at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, too.

But following up a season like that? It's kind of like what he's about to do Sunday -- try to follow up a 62 with another low number. Or at least a number low enough.

• To read the remainder of this story, click here.

INSIDE THE ROPES WITH THE PGA TOUR NETWORK
XM Satellite Radio announcer Fred Albers offers these observations from Saturday's action. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146 or right here at PGATOUR.COM.

Could history repeat itself at the Valero Texas Open? It was 2006 when Anthony Kim received a sponsor's exemption for his PGA TOUR debut and finished second. Michael Thompson is playing his first PGA TOUR event as a professional this week thanks to a sponsor's exemption and is in contention at 10 under.

It was not hard to find Chris Stroud on the golf course, just look for the largest gallery. The Beaumont native had friends and family make the drive to San Antonio to cheer for him. His friends wore "Team Stroud" tee shirts.

Saturday afternoons during the Fall Series always lead to a series of strange cheers as fans watch football games in the corporate chalets. There were numerous cheers rumbling across the fairways as Texas played Oklahoma. When the Longhorns posted their 45-35 win, the course erupted with applause. Players were not fazed in the least as several were following games of their alma maters during the round as well.

THIRD-ROUND NOTEBOOK: VALERO TEXAS OPEN
By Joe Chemycz, PGA TOUR Media Official

• Defending champion Justin Leonard birdied the final hole for a 6-under-par 64. When Leonard started the day, he was tied for 68th place. When he finished play at 11:50 a.m., he was at 7-under 203 and tied for fifth place. At the end of the day, Leonard's total found him tied for 19th.

Tway

• Veteran Bob Tway made a run up the leaderboard with a 6-under 64 as well. Tway, who tied for second here in 2003, finished his round with a bogey at the par-4, 18th hole and is at 8-under 202. Tway is making his 16th start in this event and has made the cut in his last nine starts here.

• New Zealand rookie Tim Wilkinson moved into contention with a 7-under 63, one stroke off his season/career best -- an 8-under 62 in the third round of the 2008 Sony Open in Hawaii. Wilkinson is tied for third after 54 holes, three back of leader Rory Sabbatini. Wilkinson entered the week No. 112 on the money list, making 13 of 25 cuts with a pair of top-10 finishes -- a tie for sixth at the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular and 3rd at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Wilkinson is at 11-under 199, which matches his low 54-hole total in 2008 (Sony Open in Hawaii). For the week, the lefty from Palmerston North is 1 under on par 3s, 8 under on par 4s and 2 under on par 5s.

• Jeff Overton bogeyed the par-3, 17th hole to bring his bogey-free streak to a halt after 41 holes. Overton's last previous bogey came on the second hole (his back nine) during the first round. He played the final seven holes Thursday, all 18 holes Friday and the first 16 holes Saturday without a bogey.

• Players who were bogey-free on Saturday: 62, Zach Johnson; 64, Jeff Maggert; 65, Harrison Frazar; 66, Mark Wilson and Troy Matteson; 67, Joe Ogilvie.

• To read more notes from the third round, click here.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH ON SUNDAY
1. Justin Leonard. The three-time Valero Texas Open winner and defending champion blasted into the picture in the third round with a 6-under 64. He's seven shots off the lead, so it's highly unlikely he'll win, but Leonard and La Cantera have that special something, so maybe ...

2. Tim Wilkinson. This rookie from New Zealand is picking up where last week's winner -- rookie Dustin Johnson -- left off. Can the freshman class of 2008 go back to back?

3. The Rory Sabbatini/Zach Johnson final pairing. Besides the fact that these guys are the leaders in San Antonio, they're worthy of watching because of the sheer talent between the two of them. Both are proven winners who have struggled this year, so both really, really want this win.

TRIVIA ANSWER

Justin Leonard tied his lowest Valero Texas Open round on Saturday with his 64. He has shot 64 in this tournament four times previously; his first and final rounds in 2000 (those rounds helped him to his first win at this event), his second round in 2001 (he also won that year) and his third round in 2007, when he earned his third win. Looks like a good omen for the native Texan...