PGA Championship 2010: Nick Watney Hangs on for PGA Lead

Whistling Straits—Lake Michigan gleamed in the afternoon sun as the 78 golfers who had survived the fog delay and stop/start schedule teed off to start the third round of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

Some newer but not unknown names were on top when the day began: Matt Kuchar, Nick Watney as well as veteran Jim Furyk.  The wind was down until about 3:30, and at that point, it became a steady breeze near the lake, which made the humid afternoon more pleasant for golfers and spectators alike. Closer to the final group’s finish, it was calm.

Summer rains in Wisconsin led to a bumper crop of mosquitoes and the scent of insect repellent wafted in the air. Fans had lathered on protection with such a run on repellent that some stores ran out.

However, that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowds. Humanity was stacked in layers on the paths between irregular mounds of the Pete Dye masterpiece looking a bit like lines of frosting decoration on a natural layer cake.    

Butch Harmon student Nick Watney, who won most recently at the 2009 Buick Invitational, was hot out of the gate, with birdies at the first, second, fifth, sixth, and seventh to get him to -12 and a three shot lead. He ended the day with the same margin on the field. However, he seesawed between -11 and -12 between the sixth and 12^th holes and between -13 and -14 the final six, ending with a bogey at the last for -13.

“I’m going to go out there tomorrow, put the tee in the ground on No. 1 and just try to focus on that shot,” Watney said. “It’s going to be a tough day, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

Other players clawed up the leader board in his direction, most notably long-hitting Dustin Johnson—another Harmon student --and rising star Rory McIlroy, both of whom finished at -10.

“I put myself in a couple of tricky spots on the back nine and was able to make pars,” McIlroy said. “I’ve holed out very well from inside ten feet,” he added. “That’s been the key this week.” 

McIlroy thinks we are seeing younger players coming to the top because they are better sooner. “Their confidence is so high that they can take on shots that other guys just might not have thought they could.”

Dustin Johnson played in the same group with McIlroy.  “Today we got very fortunate, the wind wasn’t blowing much at all,” Dustin Johnson said about the conditions. It certainly was calmer than Friday evening when pant legs were whipping in the wind.

Johnson insists that he is long over the disappointment of the US Open final round, and it is a good thing since he would have to make up three shots on the leader on Sunday.

“Tomorrow’s going to be a good show,” he said.  “You’re going to have to go out and be somewhat aggressive, especially being a few shots back of the lead.”

He thinks at Pebble Beach the final round of the US Open, he might have become a little impatient, and that perhaps it led to errors. “Tomorrow I’m going to focus on being patient and hitting quality golf shots.”

In a surprising move, China’s WenChong Liang set a new course record of 64 with -8 for the day and -9 for the tournament. Liang saved par on the final hole with a long par putt after his second shot at the ninth hole found the schmutz left of the green.

“This is a special, besides the score, because this is a major,” he said afterward.

Martin Kaymer, Jason Day and Bryce Molder also challenged, finishing the day four shots back at -9.

Jim Furyk was at -9 until the final hole, which he three putted. However, of the players on the leader board, only Furyk, Zach Johnson and a resurgent Steve Elkington, all at -8, are former major winners. They have the experience under the gun in big moments that the others lack.