Charles Schwab Cup Championship 2014: Key Storylines to Watch in Third Round
The Champions Tour doesn't stop to take a breather, even in the fall months. So, the Charles Schwab Championship in Arizona leaves plenty to talk about. It doesn't hurt that the Desert Mountain Club is giving players so many low scores thus far.
So far, Jay Haas has been the biggest winner. He enters Saturday with a four-shot lead at 12-under par after shooting an eight-under 62 in the second round. That's been the best round of the tournament so far, though it would be foolish to ease up now.
Motivation shouldn't be a problem for the 60-year-old, who is looking for his second Champions Tour win of the season. He also won the Greater Hickory Kia Classic two weeks ago. So if momentum exists, it appears to be on his side.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Here's a look at the key storylines to watch from Saturday's third round, and what it might mean going into the final round.
| Pos. | Player | Score |
| 1 | Jay Haas | -12 |
| 2 | Tom Pernice Jr. | -8 |
| 3 | Kenny Perry | -6 |
| T4 | Fred Couples | -5 |
| T4 | Olin Browne | -5 |
| T4 | Michael Allen | -5 |
Current leaderboard can be found at PGATour.com
Will Jay Haas Make a Mistake?
As mentioned, Haas is the story of the tournament thus far. It's not only that he's posting low scores, but his lack of mistakes has been incredible. Through 36 holes, he has just one bogey, which came on the fourth hole in Round 1.
Since that one misstep, Haas has recorded 12 birdies. Ron Mintz took things a step further to highlight how good and consistent the veteran has been:
When you combine Haas' consistency with a course that only five of the 30 players in the field shot over par on in the second round, it's hard to see his streak of consecutive rounds at par or better ending. With a four-stroke lead entering play on Saturday, it's going to be difficult for anyone else to catch him.
It would be an upset at this point if Haas didn't get his second victory in two weeks.
Who Is the Most Dangerous Player in Contention?
Besides Haas, there is a small contingent of players bunched together fighting to get back in contention. Tom Pernice Jr. sits in second place at eight-under par after two rounds, and Kenny Perry is two shots back at six-under par.
Those two are followed by a foursome at five-under par, with Fred Couples being the biggest name in the group. The question then becomes whether there's anyone capable of making up the necessary shots to at least challenge Haas on Sunday.
Couples caught fire at the end of Round 2 with six birdies on the back nine. His 64 was the second-lowest score in the second round, behind Haas' 62. So another day like that will give him a shot on Sunday, assuming the leader doesn't repeat his Friday masterpiece.
After the round, Couples told Zach Buchanan of AZCentral.com that his putting was as good as it has ever been:
"I haven't putted like this or made this many putts in a long time," Couples said. "But I didn't hit the ball so bad on the front nine, shot even par and I got it going. And as you saw, some of these putts are crazy. Just one of those things. I might go dressed as a putter tonight for Halloween."
When someone is putting well, it can make up for a lot of mistakes. Haas is far enough ahead that he doesn't have to worry, but Couples is the most dangerous contender lurking in the shadows. Another brilliant day on the greens can change the dynamic of this event.
Which Contender Will Have the Worst Saturday Performance?
If Couples is due for a big day in Round 3, Perry seems to be the most-likely candidate to fall back. The 54-year-old Kentucky native already showed signs of slowing down in the second round, shooting a 68 with three bogeys after an opening-round 66.
Perry has also been on a downward trend in recent events, finishing 19th and 38th in his last two events. Before that he did have five consecutive top-10 finishes in Champions Tour events, so there's been no consistency to his game.
The second round generally featured lower scores than the first, so to see Perry go in the opposite direction does stand out. In the early stages of Round 3, there haven't been a lot of low numbers put up. Doug Garwood was the only player under par with two birdies in his first eight holes.
If that continues as the leaders start teeing off, Perry will be looking for answers heading into the final round instead of celebrating after what seemed like a strong start.
If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
