Spieth stays atop Travelers leaderboard

ST. LOUIS – A gallon of gas was 89 cents, Crocodile Dundee was a hit at the box office, and Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. A lot of things happened in 1986, so you get a pass if you missed Davis Love III finishing T47 at his first major, the PGA Championship at Inverness Club. No one could have known it was the start of a historic run; he will play in his 100th major this week at the PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club. Only 14 players have ever hit the century mark. “Another reminder that you’re getting older and you played for a long, long time,â€� said Love, 54, who will also be making his 757th PGA TOUR start this week. “But I’ve been blessed to play this long. When you think about it, if you played all four of them for 25 years, that’s pretty incredible, and I spread it out over a little bit longer than that.

“But I’m excited to be in another one,â€� added Love, who finished T10 in his U.S. Senior Open debut this summer. “I’ve been working hard this summer to get ready to play again after another injury, but to get ready to play in the only major I knew I was in this year and compete. And then obviously next week’s been a great week for me (at the Wyndham Championship) on TOUR, so I’m looking forward to this week and next week and getting back out there and competing.â€� Most majors played all-time Love is a 21-time TOUR champion whose career high point came with his two victories at THE PLAYERS Championship and 1997 victory at the PGA Championship. Recent years have seen him take on a leadership role with the U.S. Ryder Cup, and try to fight through injuries to play as much as possible. Left ankle surgery. Right foot surgery. Left hip surgery. Neck surgery. Some of these have been a product of age, some bad luck (he stepped in a hole while playing golf in 2007), and some because he refuses to give up snowboarding. But he can still mix it up with the kids, especially when he’s healthy. “I would like to compete in some more majors,â€� said Love, who finished T33 at the ’92 PGA at Bellerive, won by Nick Price. “I don’t want to just play. If I feel like I’m just showing up to catch Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, I wouldn’t do that. But if I feel like I can compete and have some fun and not get in the way, I would love to keep competing and break that record.â€� He has a long way to go, as Nicklaus, with 164 major starts, tops the list. Sam Snead was the oldest to win on TOUR; he was 52 years, 10 months, 8 days old when he captured the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open. In pursuit of that record, Love is also aiming for another one: Mark Brooks has the most TOUR starts with 802, which is only 46 ahead of Love. “That’s the guy I’m gunning for,â€� Love said. “I would like to try to hang in there long enough to get over 800 PGA TOUR starts and pass Jay Haas (799 starts) and Mark Brooks.â€�

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Here are nine tidbits from the third round of the TOUR Championship gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. East Lake Golf Club just outside Atlanta plays 7,362 yards to Par-70. Know Thy Enemy These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game presented by SERVPRO. I included all players who were owned by 20 percent or more. Front-Running The best front-runner in history will take a three-shot lead into the final round as his 12-under-par 198 leads Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy by three shots. Tiger Woods’ round of 65 was the best of the day and was keyed by birdies on six of his first seven holes. Leading by five with three holes to play Woods made bogey while Rose circled a birdie to trim the lead and keep it interesting on Sunday. This will be Woods’ 45th, 54-hole lead and his record is 42-2. Looking to pick up career win No. 80 he’ll need to continue to keep the tee ball in play (T3 fairways) and roll in putts (No. 1 in both putting metrics). Chasing European Ryder Cup teammates Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy will try and run down Woods this weekend and next at Le Golf National in Paris. Both have fantastic records at East Lake and both will be looking to lay down a marker for next week as well. McIlroy, for the first time ever, will be paired with Woods in the final round as he was the first to post nine-under. Rose, No. 1 in the world, had his chance on Saturday but was beaten by three. He’ll have the easier pairing with Kyle Stanley in the penultimate group. Case in Point Paul Casey has put himself in position to cash another top-five check at East Lake after 66 in Round 3. In his previous four trips his worst payday is T5. Last year he led by two after 54 holes but closed with 73. He won’t have to worry about winning the event this year! No. 1 – Bryson DeChambeau Dechambeau was one shot better than last place entering Round 3 but signed for a pair of eagles and his two birdies washed out two bogeys for 66. His problems this week have been finding GIR and getting up-and-down when he doesn’t. He rebounded nicely today, as did Brooks Koepka as he carded 67 beginning from the basement. Moving Day It seems like I reiterate this point three out of every four events but Dustin Johnson doesn’t have to have his best to find a result. His 67 moved him into the top 10 and he will have a real chance, with another decent round tomorrow, to bully his way into the top five. His last six final round totals on TOUR have all been in the 60’s. … He’s not going to be this year’s version of Xander Schauffele but Aaron Wise continues to prove his worth. He was one-over thru 11 before circling four birdies in his last seven holes to join Johnson on four-under. Moving Day: Wrong Way Patrick Cantlay hit it OB with his first swing of the day and it never improved. Opening with a triple he went out in 41 before coming home in even-par 35. With only one birdie on the card, he pushed with Phil Mickelson for the worst score of the day with 76. He’s T6 in GIR so I’ll let you guess what the problem has been this week! Fading Fowler Tied with Woods after 18 holes, Rickie Fowler has cooled off over the middle two rounds signing 72 and 73. He dropped nine more spots on Saturday as he only could find two birdies against five more bogeys. It didn’t help that he only hit five of 18 GIR and only seven fairways. Solo eighth in 2014 is his only top-10 result in four previous attempts. Study Hall Round 3 was the easiest of the week as the average score was 69.067 as 23 of the 30 placed rounds at par or lower. … 65 is the lowest round of the week but Woods is the only player to do it twice. … Cantlay’s triple was the only “other” of the day. … Sepp Straka has a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Web.com Tour Championship.

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