With 4 Holes to Go, Rask Tied for 1st in Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The weather-challenged 2013 Killearn Country Club Classic, much like the traffic in Florida, has involved a lot of starting and stopping, waiting around and then starting again. Then stopping and waiting for another re-start.

Thursday's opening round was delayed by rain and spilled over into Friday, which started with fog. Friday's second round was further delayed by rain and wasn't finished until Sunday; and even though the tournament was eventually reduced from 72 holes to 54, it still wasn't over when darkness fell on Sunday.

If all goes well, it should come to a conclusion Monday morning. Or not. Who knows? The weather forecast calls for a 100-percent chance of rain. 

Among those who still haven't finished their third rounds is Clayton Rask, the former Elk River High School and University of Minnesota star who has won most of the titles available in Minnesota golf, including the State Open, State Publinx, MGA Players Championship and Minnesota Golf Champions (three times, most recently last year).

He's now in a position to claim victory in the first NGA Tour event of the year -- not to mention a first prize in the neighborhood of $30,000 -- tied for first place at 13 under par with four holes remaining.

Rask, who opened with a 67 and then shot 64 over two days in his second round at Killearn CC (par 72, 6,998 yards), was even par through 14 holes on Sunday before play was halted because of darkness. That put him in a tie with clubhouse leader David Skinns, who closed with a 66 for a 54-hole total of 203.

Skinns, who has won three times on the NGA (formerly Hooters) Tour and was the Player of the Year in 2008, birdied three of the first six holes in his final round, and four of the last eight. The only blemish on his Sunday card was a bogey at the 206-yard, par-3 eighth.  

Kelly Kraft, the former U.S. Amateur champion -- and winner of the 2009 Gopher Invitational (with a record score of 15-under 201 at Spring Hill) -- also shot a valedictory 66, and he ended up one behind Skinner at 204. There are three other players tied with him at 12 under who are still on the course: Blayne Barber, James Vargas and Trent Whitekiller.

Barber and Vargas have three holes remaining. Barber is playing with Rask and is on the 15th hole.

Rask began the final round with a three-stroke lead, but he gave back two-thirds of it when he made a double bogey at the second hole (378 yards, par 4). He got one back with a birdie at the par-5 fifth (506). By the time he got to the tee at the 525-yard, par-5 13th, Skinns was signing his scorecard and was leading by one. That changed when Rask made an eagle 3 at No. 13, but he slipped back into a tie for the lead when he bogeyed the par-3 14th (207).

The good news for Rask is that he seems to like the last four holes at Killearn. He played them in 5 under on Thursday in his opening round, including an eagle at the 511-yard, par-5 17th. Rask played the Final Four in 2 under in his second round.  


NGA (FORMERLY HOOTERS) TOUR

Killearn Country Club Classic

At Killearn Country Club

Par 72, 6,998 yards

Tallahassee, Fla.

Third-round results (incomplete) 

T1. Clayton Rask, Elk River                    67-64-DNF (-13 through 14 holes)

T1. David Skinns, Suwanee, Ga.              70-67-66--203 (-13) 

T3. Kelly Kraft, Dallas                                  71-67-66--204 (-12) 

T3. Blayne Barber, Lake City, Fla.            66-69-DNF (-12 through 15 holes)

T3. James Vargas, Orlando                       66-68-DNF (-12 through 15 holes)

T3. Trent Whitekiller, Sallisaw, Okla.        65-68-DNF (-12 through 14 holes)

Missed cut (142) 

T110. Thomas Campbell, Mpls.               72-74--146

T110. Tyler Ekenberg, Apple Valley      75-71--146