LOS ANGELES: Chez Reavie fired three birdies and an eagle in a five-under par 65 that boosted him into a three-way tie for the lead with Charl Schwartzel and Carlos Munoz on Friday in the PGA St Jude Classic.
South Africa’s Schwartzel had five birdies and a bogey in his four-under par 66 while Colombia’s Munoz carded a 67 that featured four birdies and a bogey.
They were one stroke in front of overnight co-leader Stewart Cink, who carded a 68 for 132, with Ben Crane, winner of this tournament in Memphis, Tennessee, on 133 after a 65.
Reavie started the day two shots off the lead. He picked up three birdies on the front nine and eagled the par-five 16th to go into the weekend poised to strike for a second career win to go with his 2008 Canadian Open title.
Reavie said he’d stay aggressive over the weekend.
“There’s no way that I can change my mindset and go out there and try and make pars. I won’t win the golf tournament if I do that,” he said.
“I need to just keep doing the same thing I’m doing, attack the holes that suit my eye and make as many birdies as I can.”
Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, teed off on 10 and birdied four of his first eight holes. He was alone atop the leaderboard after a birdie on the par-four second but bogeyed the eighth.
He was expecting a demanding weekend in the final tuneup before next week’s US Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.
“If you’re missing fairways, with the greens, you’re going to miss a lot of greens, you’re going to struggle,” he said.
“So if you want to move forward and win this golf tournament, I think all parts of your game are going to have to be in top form.”
Munoz, whose late charge on Thursday gave him a share of the first-round lead with Cink, Scott Brown and Matt Every, teed off on 10 and was even through nine after a birdie and a bogey. He picked up three birdies coming in to maintain a share of the lead.
“I’m super happy,” the 24-year-old Munoz said. “I’m really proud of the way I played today. I had one mistake, but I think a pretty good bogey on 18, so I was just happy to be able to step it up.” — AFP
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