Patrick Rodgers has never held a lead on the PGA Tour.
The talented former Stanford star fixed that on Saturday at a more tame Torrey Pines.
Rodgers tied for low round of the day with a spiffy five-under par 67 as conditions were more friendly at the Farmers Insurance Open.
“Conditions were awesome, it was fun to play,” said Rodgers, who took advantage of no wind and smoother greens to go bogey-free, post nine-under par and tie defending champ Brandt Snedeker for the 54-hole lead. Snedeker got to nine-under thanks to three great approach shots. On the front nine, he hit his second shot at two inside three feet then at the par three third, he was inside two feet. He got his only other birdie of the day with a beautiful nine-iron into 17 that stopped inside three feet.
Snedeker had a chance to take the lead by himself at the final hole but missed a birdie putt from 10 feet at the par five 18th.
Things are pretty bunched up behind the lead duo.
Youngsters Tony Finau (67) and C.T. Pan (70) were in at eight-under but after that, it gets really crowded going into the final round.
Overnight leader Justin Rose didn’t have his best stuff and a resulting one-over par 73 left him in a tie with seven-under players at seven-under par including Pat Perez, Stewart Cink and Harris English.
