Four Players Share Lead Going Into Final Round At Colonial
Four players share the lead going into the final round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Hideki Matsuyama, David Toms, Chad Campbell, and Chris Stroud all stand at 7-under par.
The last time four players shared the 54-hole lead at Colonial was 2007 (champion Rory Sabbatini, Jim Furyk, Bernhard Langer and Scott Verplank.)
In the previous 66 playings of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, the third-round leader/co-leader has gone on to claim victory 35 times.
Chad Campbell carded his third-consecutive round in the 60s (69-66-68) to move into a share of the lead after 54 holes. The 2001 Web.com Tour Player of the Year is making his 350th PGA TOUR start this week.
Campbell, a 39-year-old native of Andrews, Texas, is in search of his fifth PGA TOUR victory (2003 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, 2004 Arnold Palmer Invitational, 2006 Humana Challenge, 2007 Sanderson Farms Championship).
Hideki Matsuyama moved from T36 into a share of the lead following a third-round
6-under 64. His previous-low round on the PGA TOUR was a second-round 65 at the 2013 Wyndham Championship. Matsuyama, a 22-year-old native of Ehime, Japan, is making his first start at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He is hoping to become the first player to win the Colonial in his first start since Sergio Garcia in 2001.
2011 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial champion David Toms jumped into contention Saturday with a 5- under 65, moving from T23 to T1. Toms is hoping to join multiple Colonial winners Ben Hogan (5 wins) and two-time winners Billy Casper, Julius Boros, Al Geiberger, Ben Crenshaw, Bruce Lietzke, Lee Trevino, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Kenny Perry, Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson. Toms will be 47 years, 4 months and 21 days old Sunday, which would make him the oldest Colonial winner since Tom Watson won in 1998 at the age of 48 years, 8 months and 20 days.
Chris Stroud is looking for his first win on TOUR in his 208th start. Stroud was born in Nederland, Texas and graduated from Lamar University in Beaumont. Stroud’s career-best finish on TOUR came last season at the Travelers Championship when he lost in a playoff to Ken Duke. Stroud’s results at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial: 2010/MC, 2012/T13, 2013/T7. A year ago, he was paired with eventual champion Boo Weekley on the final day. In round two, Chris Stroud made the second most feet of putts in a round on the PGA TOUR since 2003 when laser data was first used. Stroud made a total of 220’8″ of putts in the second round, ranking second behind Brent Geiberger’s 240’4″ of putts made at the 2006 Booz Allen Classic in round one.
Adam Scott, who made his TOUR leading 34th consecutive cut this week, posted a 4-under 66 to move from T36 to T11 following the third round. The 66 equals his low round at Colonial (R1-2011). Scott moved into the top spot of the Official World Golf Ranking Monday (May 19, 2014), supplanting Tiger Woods. He became the second Australian to hold the No. 1 ranking, joining Greg Norman, who held the top spot for 331 weeks and most recently January 4, 1998. Scott is the first World No. 1 to play Colonial since Nick Price in 1995 (finished T12).
Brendon Todd (69-69-67) sits T11 in his bid to become the second player to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and HP Byron Nelson Championship in the same year (Ben Hogan/1946). He would be the first to do so in back-to-back weeks.
Fourteen players have won both the HP Byron Nelson Championship and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial during their career. Players who have won the “DFW Double”: Ben Crenshaw, Roberto De Vicenzo, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Bruce Devlin, Jack Nicklaus, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Watson, Bruce Lietzke, Nick Price, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Rory Sabbatini and Julius Boros.
