Rodgers surges, ties SnedekerRodgers surges, ties Snedeker
SAN DIEGO — Notes and observations from Saturday’s third round of the Farmers Insurance Open, where defending champion Brandt Snedeker and Patrick Rodgers share the lead, but 21 others are within four shots. For more from Torrey Pines, check out the Daily Wrap-up. RODGERS RACING TO TOP Patrick Rodgers is leading the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, but the 24-year-old bomber was also quick to praise a new putter as he forged his way to the lead. Rodgers, part of the famous Class of 2011 that includes Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, moved to a mallet style putter for the first time in his life just a few weeks ago. It was the name that first caught his eye. “I have a new putter in the bag this week. It’s a cool story. It’s a brand new Toulon putter by Odyssey and its named Indianapolis, which is my hometown, which is really cool, so it was a nice fit for me,” Rodgers explained. “It’s a good time to change putters and it’s nice to see a few go in, but I’ll have to be patient tomorrow and just trust in it.” The putter is such named as the design uses racecar technology and its look is certainly unlike a traditional flat stick. After testing it extensively and seeing great data on his stroke and stability, Rodgers made the switch. “I think it looks great and hopefully it’s going to help me make a few more putts,” Rodgers continued. “My grandpa was a part owner of a race team just totally by chance. He just was a race fan and ended up being part owner of Bettenhausen Motorsports. So I grew up around the event all month traveling with the IndyCar circuit. “Racing’s a big part of my family and it’s cool to have a little racecar on the back of my putter, always reminds me of home.” Rodgers currently sits 78th in the FedExCup but is projected to surge into the top 10 with a win as he looks to better his career best T2 finish from the 2015 Wells Fargo Championship. SNEDS CHASING HISTORY Brandt Snedeker is looking to etch his name amongst some of Torrey Pines legends when he heads out in the final round on Sunday. The 2012 and 2016 Farmers Insurance Open champion had to overcome large deficits to win on those occasions, but this time around he’s starting at the top through 54 holes. In 2012, he was seven strokes off the lead after 54 holes, before beating Kyle Stanley in sudden death. Last year, he was six strokes back through three rounds, before winning in the Monday finish. “I definitely like my odds better than the last two times I won at this place, that’s for sure,” Snedeker said. “So I’m in the right frame of mind, exactly where I kind of want to be in the last group here. This is obviously a tough golf course. There’s a lot of guys within a couple shots of the lead so it doesn’t really mean a whole lot, but this place for whatever reason seems to bring out my best and I am excited about the challenge tomorrow.” This marks Snedeker’s ninth time to take a lead/co-lead after 54 holes on the PGA TOUR. Of the previous eight, he converted for the win at the 2012 TOUR Championship, 2013 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and 2013 RBC Canadian Open. The last player to successfully defend his title at the Farmers Insurance Open was Tiger Woods (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) and only two players have won three or more Farmers Insurance Open titles in the tournament’s 54-year history. (Phil Mickelson – 1993, 2000, 2001; Tiger Woods – 1999, 2003, 2005-08, 2013). LOCAL BOYS IN MIX Local-favorites Pat Perez and J.J. Spaun fed off each other and the crowds on Saturday as they moved into contention at the Farmers Insurance Open. Perez, who attended Torrey Pines High School, put together a tidy 5-under 67 to move to 7-under. Spaun, who played college golf at San Diego State, carded a 69 to finish at 6-under. Despite his local ties, Perez has just two Top-10 finishes in 15 previous starts at Torrey Pines. But he does have a T2 in 2014 to draw on and the two-time TOUR winner hopes he can go one better this time around. “I’ve had some bad rounds here. It’s nice to actually get one,” Perez said. “The course is so hard; every shot is just full stress. If you don’t hit in the fairway, you’re going to have trouble hitting the green. If you don’t hit that green, it’s hard to get up and down. With the speed of the green and the way the pins are, it’s awesome to get a good day. “These guys are really good so it’s going to take another great round like today probably to catch anybody.” Perez and Spaun both fed off the large galleries as they made their moves. For Perez, the days of feeling pressure to perform at Torrey has been replaced by a calmness, another reason for his good play. He is already running third in the FedExCup thanks to his win at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba early this season, further freeing up his game. “It’s awesome. The fans are great. This is my town, growing up here and especially on this course, it’s awesome for everybody. It’s awesome to have all the fans,” Perez continued. “There used to be (pressure) early (in my career)… I really wanted to do well (here). “I’ve kind of put that aside now. I try to play well every week.” Rookie Spaun will look to make his best finish of the season Sunday having finished no higher than T28 (OHL Classic at Mayakoba) in seven starts to be running 136th in the FedExCup. “It was a good vibe being down here. It just felt comfortable,” Spaun said. “We used to work the locker room during college and stuff, so it’s nice to be out here. It’s kind of familiar territory.” FINAU FIGHTING FOR FIRST A wet Torrey Pines can certainly set up well for the bombers, and Tony Finau has taken advantage. The 2016 Puerto Rico Open winner put together one of the rounds of the day with a 5-under 67 to jettison himself to 8-under and just one shot from the lead. “I think when you hit it with some length, it’s a golf course that you can take advantage of, for sure,” Finau said after averaging 300-yards off the tee (ranked 3rd). “But so many components go into winning a golf tournament. I’ll enjoy this round tonight and look forward to tomorrow. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I like the way I’m playing and look forward to tomorrow. LEISHMAN LOVES TORREY Australian Marc Leishman rates Torrey Pines South as one of his favorite five golf courses in the world. It might jump to number one if the 33-year-old can claim the Farmers Insurance Open on Sunday. Leishman, who was PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year in 2009 and won the 2012 Travelers Championship is looking to add a second title on what has been a happy hunting ground in the past. He was runner-up in 2010 and 2014 and finished T9 in 2011 at the Farmers Insurance Open and now enters Sunday’s final round just two back of the lead. His 4-under 68 was impressive given a slow start where he sat 1-over on his round through five holes. “It’s important to keep your patience around here. I’ve played a lot of golf here and I’ve lost my patience here before and it can go south pretty quickly,” Leishman said. “Mentally I was pretty good, so hopefully I can continue that tomorrow. Knowing I contended here before is good. I think I’ve learned a lot from not winning. So I feel I’ll draw on that, those experiences, and hopefully come late tomorrow afternoon I can be there and hopefully give myself another good shot.” SHORT SHOTS Phil Mickelson hasn’t given up hope of claiming a fourth Farmers Insurance Open after putting himself within four of the lead at 5-under. “Fortunately I’m within striking distance if I can get hot, but there’s a lot of people between me and the lead, which means I’ve got to make birdies to go get them,” he said. “If I can shoot something around 65, 66, you never know, it might be enough.” Stewart Cink credited his wife Lisa and the strength she’s shown in a battle with breast cancer as a leading factor in his ability to move into contention this week. Cink sits just two off the lead as he hunts a seventh TOUR win, but first since the 2009 Open Championship. “I’ve learned so much from Lisa about how to fight and how to do what it takes that I thought I could apply some of that to golf,” Cink said. “She’s really been valiant with her struggle and her battle and I figured if she can do that much and be that disciplined, then why can’t I? It’s a little different when we’re talking about cancer versus golf but still we’re both seeking something that we’re serious about. And so it’s had a little bit of an effect on my golf because I’ve been playing a little bit better and it’s been more fun. That’s been a very positive impact on my golf out here.” Rookie Cheng Tsung Pan is looking to celebrate Chinese New Year in style. Pan sits just one back of the lead at 8-under as he looks to better his career best T6 at The RSM Classic earlier this season. CALL OF THE DAY SHOT OF THE DAY BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA
