Rising Australian star Jason Day and 42-year-old American Michael Bradley moved clear of the field in the third round of the Puerto Rico Open in Rio Grande today.
The chasing pack is four behind after 21-year-old Day carded a two under par 70 and Bradley, playing his first event of the season after losing his card and failing to get it back at the qualifying school, a fine 68 in difficult conditions at the Trump International.
Eight players share third place on eight-under - Americans Cliff Kresge, Bryce Molder, Jay Williamson, Brett Quigley, Omar Uresti, Kent Jones and Bart Bryant, plus Australian left-hander Greg Chalmers.
Bradley, who had the second of the PGA Tour victories 11 years ago, birdied four of the first six holes to turn in 32 and after a bogey on the 12th collected his fifth birdie of the round at the 17th.
Former Australian and world junior champion Day had three birdies himself on the front nine and his only dropped shot came at the 14th.
Day had shared the halfway lead with compatriot Matt Jones, but the 28-year-old from Sydney had a nightmare run after grabbing an eagle on the long fifth.
Jones double-bogeyed the next, bogeyed five of the following six holes, had another double bogey on the 13th and let another stroke go at the next.
That was 10 over par for nine holes, but he did at least pick up two birdies on the closing stretch for a 79 that dropped him to 37th.
England's Greg Owen, 12th overnight, managed only a 77 to slump to joint 58th on one under, while German Alex Cejka signed for a 74 that sent him down from eighth to 17th on five under.
American Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin is on the same mark following a 73 and Rocco Mediate, beaten by Tiger Woods in a play-off for the US Open last June and still seeking his first top 10 finish since then, struggled to a 75 that left him alongside Jones and 18-year-old Hawaiian Tadd Fujikawa.
Collated third round scores & totals in the USPGA Tour Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular, Trump International Golf Club, Puerto Rico, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
(USA unless stated, par 72):
204 Michael Bradley 67 69 68, Jason Day (Aus) 66 68 70
208 Kent Jones 69 69 70, Bart Bryant 67 68 73, Omar Uresti 71 67 70, Brett Quigley 68 71 69, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 68 70 70, Jay Williamson 71 70 67, Bryce Molder 67 69 72, Cliff Kresge 67 69 72
209 Aron Price (Aus) 70 71 68
210 D.A. Points 70 68 72, Joe Durant 71 72 67, Estanislao Goya (Arg) 69 67 74, J.P. Hayes 71 68 71, Chris Smith 71 71 68
211 Jerry Kelly 70 68 73, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 71 71 69, Kris Blanks 72 70 69, Jeff Overton 69 72 70, Paul Stankowski 69 72 70, Colt Knost 71 67 73, Corey Pavin 69 69 73, Ronnie Black 69 68 74, Alex Cejka (Ger) 68 69 74
212 Patrick Sheehan 71 70 71, Tom Scherrer 71 70 71, Robert Garrigus 70 68 74, John Merrick 70 72 70, Lee Janzen 69 70 73, David Berganio Jnr. 71 71 70, Greg Kraft 71 71 70, Manuel Villegas (Col) 72 71 69, Michael Allen 69 74 69, Scott Sterling 69 69 74, Troy Matteson 68 69 75
213 Andy Matthews 73 68 72, Ted Purdy 71 69 73, John Mallinger 69 70 74, Matthew Jones (Aus) 70 64 79, Tadd Fujikawa 70 68 75, Jarrod Lyle (Aus) 71 70 72, Jay Delsing 70 72 71, Shaun Micheel 71 71 71, Carlos Franco (Par) 76 67 70, Rocco Mediate 68 70 75, Jonathan Byrd 68 72 73
214 Charles Warren 70 73 71, Eric Axley 72 70 72, Derek Lamely 66 71 77, Kevin Stadler 67 75 72, Guy Boros 74 68 72, John Huston 71 70 73, Alan Wagner 73 69 72, Jason Gore 74 69 71, Tommy Gainey 72 70 72, Matt Weibring 70 70 74
215 Mark Brooks 70 71 74, Neal Lancaster 70 73 72, Greg Owen (Eng) 71 67 77, Charles Howell III 69 69 77, Robert Damron 70 71 74, Robin Freeman 71 72 72, Rich Beem 70 73 72, Scott Gutschewski 72 69 74, Glen Day 72 67 76, Brandt Snedeker 69 74 72, Ryan Moore 72 71 72, Tyler Aldridge 69 73 73
216 Ricky Barnes 69 71 76, Bo Van Pelt 74 67 75
217 Derek Fathauer 74 69 74, Notah Begay III 70 72 75, Rick Price 69 72 76
218 Casey Wittenberg 69 72 77, Jimmy Walker 72 71 75
219 Matthew Borchert 71 70 78
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