Jerry Kelly Keeps Marching in New Orleans

The lyrics of Katharine Purvis from 1896 seemed particularly appropriate for Jerry Kelly’s determined resurrection into the ranks of champions outside New Orleans this week at the TPC Louisiana.

"Oh, when the saints go marching in…Lord, how I want to be in that number…when the saints go marching in…"

This is no “jazz funeral” during the 40th rendition of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Rather it is a rebirth of the golf game of Jerry Kelly hopefully similar to that of his good buddy Steve Stricker who won the very first PGA TOUR Playoff event—the 2007 Barclays.

One knows that this is truly Saints’ territory—that of the New Orleans’ national football team. Walking up along side the 18th fairway at the Farmers Insurance video screen they are playing the NFL Draft and not the CBS broadcast of the Zurich New Orleans golf tournament.

By the way the Saints used their 14th draft pick in the first round for some guy named Malcolm Jenkins from The Ohio State University. Didn’t Florida and then LSU beat the Buckeyes?

Scores of 68 and 69 were good on “moving day” during the third round. Kelly’s bogey-free 69 kept him in first place and stretched his lead from one to three strokes clear of Steve Marino whose 68 moved him from T14 to second place alone.

Rod Pampling’s 68 brought him all the way from T24 to T3 with Aaron Watkins’ whose 69 moved him up from T14. Also T3 four strokes back of Kelly are Charles Howell III (70), John Rollins (71) and first round leader Charlie Wi (70).

Kelly knows the secret to his success so far this week. “The swing is better. It's not flawless. When I've put myself in tough spots, let's just say I've played smart. I'm going where I can get it up-and-down from. And I've recovered very well. That's probably been the key.”

His strategy is simply one of being comfortable. Comfortable enough to win? “My goal was to be comfortable. I'm not going to force shots that make me uncomfortable. I'm going to try to stay comfortable. I've got a swing that's not new, but it hasn't really been tested as much as I'd like to have it tested.

"That's because I haven't played as well in the last few years. I'm just trying to be comfortable with what I've got. If I do that on the mental side, then I know the birdies will come.”

The Pete Dye designed TPC Louisiana is really a tune-up for the fifth Major—The PLAYERS Championship in two weeks at TPC Sawgrass at the home of the PGA TOUR in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

“It's like a British Open. It's more forgiving than a British Open, but there are plenty of difficult spots out there with some of those bunkers that Pete Dye built, which are fairly similar to some of the British Open bunkers.”

Pretending that he came here for the food in New Orleans and to not to know it has been seven years since his last victory Kelly put his third round lead into perspective: “You could probably tell me easier than I could tell you. I don't know, and I don't really care. It's all about where you finish tomorrow. Today doesn't mean a whole lot.”

Rod Pampling is happy to be back in contention. The Aussie is a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR the last time being Arnie’s tournament—the 2006 Bay Hill Invitational. He tied for 9that the WGC-CA Championship at Doral.

“I got back on the range early this week, and found that form again. It was just a matter of getting some putts going in. If I have a good putting day, it would really be a nice chance. You know, the form's good. Just keep patient and see what we come up with.”

David Toms had the round we all have had. On the first hole he knocked it to within eight feet and missed the putt for birdie. “Got it in there tight on the first hole, missed it, and that was the story of the day.”

Though it is a four day tournament Day No. 3 did not go the way David Toms envisioned it would. “We just had some tough pins out there. I never really got the ball very close. When I did, I didn't make it.

"I wasn't making birdies and I got kind of behind, and I needed to make up some shots and play smart and play the golf course like you have to. I couldn't make the putts to achieve the score I needed to.”

Jeff Overton (68) and Joe Ogilvie (69) lead a pack of seven golfers within five strokes of Kelly and a definite chance to win the golf tournament come Sunday afternoon. Others in that pack include Roland Thatcher, Rory Sabbatini, Kevin Stadler who triple bogeyed the 15th hole, John Merrick and Louisiana native and local favorite David Toms.

Steve Marino bogeyed No. 18 after being greenside in two strokes but in the bunker under the lip. “Things like that happen in golf. I made a nice chip-in today. Had some good breaks happen for me.

"It was unfortunate to end like that on 18, but that's just the way it goes.” Maybe the right attitude to make or let things happen and go his way come Sunday afternoon on this Pete Dye challenge?

“It's going to take some good golf and some good luck. I've been close a couple of times. I've been struggling like the last couple of months, but I feel I'm starting to come around and playing well again. So maybe I'll get a couple of good breaks tomorrow and make some putts. You never know.”

Marino is in his third full season on TOUR and is seeking his first career win. Marino’s career best finish a runner-up at the 2008 Mayakoba Golf Classic. For his career, Marino has now made the cut in 57 of 77 Tour starts. This year, Marino has made the cut in eight of 12 starts with his best finish a T7 at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

In the past eight years, only two 54-hole leaders have gone on to win this event—both recently with Chris Couch in 2006 and Nick Watney in 2007.

Jerry Kelly has held or shared the 54-hole lead six times previously in his career and gone on to win only one of those tournaments—the 2002 Sony Open in Hawaii where he led by two shots shot 70 and won by one stroke.

Third-round leaders or co-leaders have enjoyed great success on the PGA TOUR this year—13 of 16 have gone on to win the tournament.

Looking ahead to the final round Jerry Kelly believes all the clichés because they're true. “You know, I'm going to try to have fun and see what happens. That's the key to my success is when I come to a place like this, I have fun outside the course—outside the ropes and inside the ropes. That's huge for me.”

Kelly’s Wisconsin buddy Steve Stricker is seven shots back in T21 position along with Masters runner-up Kenny Perry. If Stricker can’t win on Sunday he undoubtedly will be there on the 18th hole to see Jerry Kelly come marching in with his first victory in seven years.

Here come the Saints come marching in…

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering for the tournaments and working part time for NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and The Golf Channel.

He resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website

www.MrHickoryGolf.net or by e-mailing him to

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