Goydos Shoots 3M Tournament-Record 60, Shares 36-Hole Lead With Perry and Sauers

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  BLAINE, Minn. – After his second round of the 2017 3M Championship Saturday at TPC Twin Cities, Paul Goydos admitted that he’s been struggling for most of the season, particularly with his putter.

Through 15 events this season, he’s earned a pair of top-10 finishes to collect more than $369,000 in earnings and currently sits 31st in the Schwab Cup standings.

There were no signs of struggle whatsoever Saturday as Goydos needed only 20 putts to sink 10 birdies and an eagle to set a tournament record by carding 12-under par 60 to finish in a three-way tie for the lead with Kenny Perry and Gene Sauers at 14-under with one round to play.

“I missed a birdie putt on No. 5 and a birdie putt on No. 13—the rest of them I was taking out of the hole,” he said. “It was one of those weird days and the whole key to that round was to stay completely out of your own way and let whatever happens happen. I did a pretty good job of that today.”

Trying to recall his frequent birdies Saturday, Goydos quipped, “It might be quicker to go through the pars.”

Starting his second round with a less than ideal tee shot, Goydos managed to get up-and-down for par on the opening hole to remain at 2-under for the championship before sinking back-to-back birdies at the second and third holes.

“I made a good drive and a nice 9-iron and a 10-footer on No. 2 after playing No. 1 poorly, and then at three, hit a wedge into about four feet. Now you’re kind of into your round and going the right direction—those are the types of things that need to happen.”

After the first of his two two-putts for par at the par-4 fifth, Goydos rolled in three consecutive birdies starting at the sixth and would turn at 7-under.

“There’s going to be a lot of birdies and six and a lot of birdies at seven, but eight is the birdie that turns 65’s into 60’s. I hit a 3-iron in there to about 10 feet and made that. 5-under on the front nine, that’s not bad, but your thought process is, ‘I’m 7-under par,’ well 7-under par isn’t going to finish 50th this week. You need to stop patting yourself on the back and get going.”

That's exactly what he did with a pair of birdies at 11 and 12 before his second two-putt for par at the 13th.

Goydos claimed the luck factor kicked in again at No. 15 after managing to miss the fairway at forgiving TPC Twin Cities.

“The fairway is 60 yards wide and I managed to hit it in the left rough behind a tree, which is impossible—I didn’t even know trees were on the hole. I hit a 20-yard hook out of the rough and it rolled up to about 20 feet and I made it for birdie," Goydos said. "I turned a five into a three there and those are the things that turn really good rounds into stupid-good rounds.”

Goydos would finish the day with three birdies before sinking an 18-footer for eagle on the final hole to shoot a tournament-low 60.

Conditions were ideal for scoring Saturday, with 66 players in a field of 77 finishing the second round below par. The field scoring average of 67.883 is the lowest in PGA Tour Champions history, breaking the old mark of 68.051 in 2005.

Perry’s start to the second round wasn’t quite the equivalent of his first round when he birdied his first six holes Friday, but he managed to roll in birdies on two of his first three holes to get to 9-under before finding a grove by carding three consecutive birdies to close out his front nine at 12-under for the championship.

The two-time champion wedged his second shot into the 11th inside of 15 feet to make birdie, moving to 13-under for the championship before sinking a 10-foot birdie at the 16th to finish his day with a second straight round of 7-under par 65.

 “The first day I had everything going and birdie the first six and I’m thinking I’m going to shoot 58 or 59 and then struggle coming in to shoot 7-under. Today I didn’t feel like I had much. I couldn’t hit my driver solid, but I was hitting my irons nice and putted nice and I end up shooting the same score, so it’s kind of funny,” Perry said Saturday. “I was steady out there and had a lot of chances. Any time you shoot 65, I don’t care where you are, it’s a good round.

“You can shoot a pair of 65’s, 14-under, and they’re catching you, shooting 60’s. I truly believe anybody that’s as far as four back can win this golf tournament. That puts the whole field in play. I’m going to have to figure out a way to go out and shoot another 65. It’s going to be a birdie-fest and fun for everyone to watch.”

Sauers began the championship by shooting a 6-under par 66 Friday before putting together identical nines at 4-under par 32 to finish the second round at 68 and into a share of the lead.

Rolling in a birdie at the third and fifth holes, Sauers went to 8-under before adding back-to-back birdies at the seventh and eighth to turn at 10-under for the championship.

Slowing down on the final nine Saturday, Sauers converted his birdies chances at the 11th and 13th holes before sinking eagle on the final hole to finish the first two rounds at 14-under par 130.

The 2017 3M Championship concludes Sunday, with final-round tee times beginning at 8:40 a.m. at TPC Twin Cities.



2017 3M CHAMPIONSHIP
TPC TWIN CITIES
BLAINE, MINN.
7,114 YARDS, PAR 72


SATURDAY’S SECOND ROUND RESULTS
T1. Kenny Perry, 65-65—130
T1. Paul Goydos, 70-60—130
T1. Gene Sauers, 66-64—130
T4. Scott Dunlap, 68-63—131
T4. Brandt Jobe, 67-64—131
T6. Steve Stricker, 69-63—132
T6. Marco Dawson, 66-66—132

Seven players tied for eighth at 134

T24. TOM LEHMAN, 68-68—136
T74. JOHN HARRIS, 78-68—146


For complete tournament results go to: www.pgatour.com/champions/leaderboard.html