Jim Furyk torched Pebble Beach with a bogey-free 9-under-par 63 and took a one-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker and Matt Jones of Australia heading to the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in postcard weather on the Monterey Peninsula.
Furyk, who has not won since the 2010 Tour Championship to claim the FedEx Cup, carded birdies on six of the last holes after starting 64-70 in his first tournament of the year on the PGA Tour.
“I really didn’t know where I stood coming out here,” said Furyk, who has finished second seven times since that last victory and is 0-for-7 during that stretch after holding at least a share of the 54 hole lead. “I was going to be very patient and see where I was, and go play Pebble and L.A. and reassess, and have the week off to get ready for Doral and Tampa.
“I guess I’m pleasantly surprised. I wouldn’t expect to be 18-under par after three days, I’ll promise you that. But also didn’t expect the weather to be like this either. … I was a lot of fun out there. I had a bunch of kick-ins today.”
Jones, who won the Shell Houston Open last year for his first PGA Tour victory, held the lead until making bogeys on his last two holes while finishing on the front nine to shoot 67 at Pebble Beach, and Snedeker birdied two of the last four holes in the same stretch for another 67 at Pebble.
Nick Watney of Sacramento and Fresno State collected eight birdies in a 65 and was two strokes back in solo third, and Kevin Chappell of Fresno and UCLA was two shots further back in fourth after a 66, both at Pebble.
Pat Perez of San Diego carded a 68 at Spyglass Hill and was five strokes behind in a tie for sixth with Jon Curran, who had a 69 at Pebble, Andres Gonzales, who shot 64 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, and Daniel Berger, who totaled 69 at Spyglass.
