The Live Report, Round 3: FBR Open
The FBR Open is the fourth tournament of the PGA TOUR season. PGATOUR.COM's The Live Report will provide updates all day long for each of the five rounds, so check back often. (All timestamps listed for Eastern Time.) LIVE ESSENTIALS: Shot Tracker -- follow every shot | Live Scoring -- in real time | PGA TOUR Network -- SIRIUS 209/XM 146
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PERRY IN POSITION (5:49 p.m.): Kenny Perry knows that some people think he's crazy when he talks about wanting to win 20 career PGA TOUR events, but he doesn't care. With 12 career wins he has a ways to go, but a 66 on Saturday has him in position with a one-shot lead going into the final round of the FBR Open.
He almost never got to this point, however. On Thursday, Perry was headed toward a round of 4 over when he took a 3-wood out on the par-5 15th, gave it a whack and made the first of three birdies to close out and salvage a decent round.
The rest of the week, Perry crept into contention, highlighted by a 63 on Friday.
With No. 13 in his sights, maybe getting to 20 isn't so crazy after all. -- Brian Wacker
LOTS OF LOW ROUNDS (5:19 p.m.): How good have scoring conditions been today? Surprisingly good. Only 18 players as of right now have shot rounds of 70 or higher, and very few of those have come from guys who started the day anywhere near the top of the leaderboard. -- Brian Wacker
SIMPSON FINALLY STRUGGLING (4:55 p.m.): It looks like Webb Simpson is finally going to shoot the first round over par of his young career. The PGA TOUR rookie out of Wake Forest is 3 over through 15 holes today after posting 11 straight rounds of par or better this season.
He's also staring at his first finish outside the top 10. Simpson began the day in a tie for fifth, but has since plummeted. In his first two events, Simpson finished T9 at the Sony Open in Hawaii and T5 at the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer. -- Brian Wacker
PURDY MATCHES OGILVY (4:32 p.m.): There are more low numbers than expected today, and Ted Purdy is among those firing at the flag. He matched Geoff Ogilvy's 65 and perhaps his best shot came on the par-3 16th, where he stuck it to 9 inches.
Purdy is coming off a so-so finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he finished T51, and a 2008 season in which he made just 10 cuts with one top 10 and one top 25. Playing well in Arizona isn't all that big of a surprise, however. After all, Purdy went to school at the University of Arizona. Just another local guy playing well here this week. -- Brian Wacker
Here's a look at Purdy's scorecard from today:
OGILVY IN WTH LOW ROUND (4:14 p.m.): Aussie Geoff Ogilvy is in the clubhouse -- and in contention again -- with the lowest round of the day so far, a 7-under 65. It was especially impressive considering he erased two bogeys on the card and hit just 57 percent of his fairways. -- Brian Wacker
Here's a look at Ogilvy's card from today:
BEES AND BIRDIES (3:54 p.m.): Did you know that bumble bees can't fly? It's true, they are aerodynamically incapable of flying. But the thing is that no one ever told that to the bumble bee. I was reminded of that watching Scott Piercy and James Nitties make their way around the TPC Scottsdale on Saturday afternoon.
Piercy has navigated the toughest stretch of the golf course in the most impressive fashion. With birides at 5, 6, 8, 10 and 11 he is 7 under with two reachable par 5s and a drivable par 4 left to play. James Nitties is three shots back in second place alone and continues to roll the rock like a veteran, or a school boy, take your pick.
If no one tells these guys that there is supposed to be a learning curve at the highest level before Sunday we may just have our first rookie winner of the year in the fourth week. But it is more likely that one of these veterans that is lurking will find a fly swatter before kickoff of the big game on Sunday. -- John Maginnes
A PURDY SHOT (3:25 p.m.): Looks like Billy Mayfair isn't the only Arizona Cardinals fan in the field. Ted Purdy just stuck his tee shot at the raucous 16th to 9 inches -- the closest yet this week -- before pulling out a Cardinals flag and waving it to the crowd as he made his way to the green.
Purdy tapped in the birdie putt and moved to 9 under. -- Brian Wacker
OGILVY AT HOME AT FBR (3:15 p.m.): Don't look now but Geoff Ogilvy has emerged at the FBR Open.
The winner of the season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship and Scottsdale resident has shot up the leaderboard from 29th to third on the strength of eight birdies and just two bogeys.
Oddly, Ogilvy has never really fared all that well here with four missed cuts and a T20 as his best finish. -- Brian Wacker
PIERCY MOVES TO FRONT (2:45 p.m.): Scott Piercy has moved to the top of the leaderboard with birdies on five of his first eight holes today.
The PGA TOUR rookie has just two rounds of 70 or above this year with a T12 at the Sony Open in Hawaii and a T19 at last week's 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer. -- Brian Wacker
MATTESON MAKES MAJOR MOVE (2:25 p.m.): Troy Matteson has the day's best round going and as a result has vaulted into the lead, for now.
The third-year PGA TOUR player just made the turn in 29 with six birdies and no bogeys. He's definitely dialed-in, having hit 86 percent of his fairways and 89 percent of his greens with just 11 putts through the first nine holes. If he can match his six-birdie effort on the back, he'll shoot golf's magic number of 59.
This isn't the first time Matteson is playing well. He shot three rounds in the 60s at the Sony Open in Hawaii two weeks ago and last year he had five top 10s, including a runner-up at the PODS Championship, after a rookie campaign in '06 that also included five top 10s, one of which was a win at the Frys.com Open. -- Brian Wacker
Here's a look at Matteson's scorecard today:
BREAKING DOWN TPC SCOTTSDALE (2:15 p.m.): TPC Scottsdale is a unique par 71. It starts the players out with some opportunities to make birdies. The first two holes are short par 4s followed by the only par 5 on the front. But once you get past the short par-3 fourth hole you have your work cut out for you.
The fifth hole is a tough, downhill par-4 that measures 453 yards. From the fifth tee to the 12th tee, you play six par 4s and the toughest par 3 on the golf course. Today and tomorrow the players will try to generate a little momentum early and carry it through that tough stretch to set up for the exciting finish. There are two reachable par 5s and a drivable par 4 in the last six holes. Oh, yea, and No. 16 is in that stretch as well. -- John Maginnes
TIGHT LEADERBOARD (2:00 p.m.): There are 13 players within two shots of each other right now and that will make for an interesting moving day, especially by the time the leaders come to the 16th, which should not only be as loud as it's been all week but probably as firm as it's been, too.
With that in mind, here's a look at how our leaders have fared at the FBR Open in the past. -- Brian Wacker
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WHAT TO WATCH FOR (1:40 p.m.): A big reason Nick Watney was able to shoot 63 yesterday was because of his approach shots and putting. He's always been long off the tee and accurate into the green, but last season he ranked 127th in putting average. This week, he ranks first in putting through the first two rounds.
Also, in his opening-round 70, Watney hit just three approach shots inside 20 feet. Yesterday, he hit 10 inside 20 feet. If he can keep that up today, he'll be near the top of the leaderboard again tomorrow. -- Brian Wacker
WATNEY IN THE THIRD ROUND (1:20 p.m.): The leaders are off and that means Nick Watney is looking to perform a little better in today's third round than he has in some previous penultimate rounds, a 63 in the fourth-round at last week's five-round 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer notwithstanding.
In 2008, the former Fresno State star had just seven sub-70 rounds out of 21 on Saturday, with a 66 at the Frys.com Open the best of them. Given how tough TPC Scottsdale should play today, it'll be difficult to break that trend. -- Brian Wacker
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HE'S BACK AGAIN (12:40 p.m.): Bubba Watson didn't waste any time on Saturday. He rattled off three straight birdies in his first three holes to put himself near the top of the leaderboard before the leaders hit the course.
Watson is hungry for his first PGA TOUR win, especially after the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer. The TOUR's top driving pro over the past few years was tied for third heading into the final round last week. He'd shot 62 in the first round at that event and fired a 63 in the fourth round, but faltered with a 75 on Sunday to tie for 25th.
This week, he's leading the field in driving distance -- no surprise there -- with a 327.5 yard average. Watson is also sixth in hitting the green in regulation so far at the FBR Open. -- Lauren Deason
WATCH THESE GUYS (11:40 a.m.): Simpson and Fowler are two of the TOUR's most promising young stars. Sponsor exemption Fowler, the only amateur in this week's field, is a sophomore at Oklahoma State University making his third career start on the PGA TOUR. He has posted scores of 73-66 to advance to the final 36 holes. Fowler missed the cut at last year's Verizon Heritage and tied for 60th at the U.S. Open Championship.
Fowler is currently the No. 2 ranked amateur in the world behind only Danny Lee of New Zealand. Fowler was an All-America selection as a freshman, Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, the first-ever freshman to win the Ben Hogan Award and a Walker Cup member last year.
Simpson tied for seventh at the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament to earn his card for 2009. He began his first season with a 4-under 66 at the Sony Open in Hawaii and eventually tied for ninth. Simpson also tied for fifth at the 50th Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer last week after five straight rounds in the 60s. -- Joe Chemycz and Lauren Deason
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QUICK LOOK (11:30 a.m.): The third round will be played in threesomes with players teeing off both the first and 10th tees. Nick Watney (70-63) is at 9-under 133 and holds a one-stroke lead over Charley Hoffman, Matt Kuchar and James Nitties. This is only the second time in Watney's career that he has held the lead after 36 holes. The 2007 Zurich Classic of New Orleans champion also held the lead at the 2006 Wyndham Championship, where he ultimately finished sixth. -- Joe Chemycz
EARLY RISERS (11:00 a.m.): The three players who completed the second round early Saturday morning all made the cut. Webb Simpson (-5), Jarrod Lyle (-2) and amateur Rickie Fowler (-2) all had birdie putts waiting for them on the short, par-4 17th hole. Simpson (5' 5") and Fowler (6' 3") made their birdie putts. Simpson, a 23-year-old rookie who had a stellar amateur career at Wake Forest, also birdied the 18th hole to finish at 7-under par and is tied for fifth. -- Joe Chemycz
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