Left-handed Ted Potter Jr. was right on in round three of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The 34-year-old Potter, who made his way back to the PGA Tour this season by way of the Web.com Tour, carded a blistering 9-under-par 62 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club to tie for the lead with top-ranked Dustin Johnson.
Potter is trying to reestablish himself after undergoing two surgeries because of a broken ankle he sustained while stepping off a curb in July of 2014.
“I thought I could get to 60, but I knew those last few holes were par holes,” said Potter, who flirted with 59 before making bogeys on two of his last three holes. “I knew it was going to be tough coming in. It is what it is. I feel good about my game. Obviously, I played well today. As long as I can just keep the nerves under control, I’ll be fine.
“(The ankle) still gets sore at the end of the day, but I can swing the golf club and can I get around 18 holes, so I feel good about that. But it’s still going to be awhile before it’s a hundred percent. But it feels good enough to play at this level.”
Potter, whose only PGA Tour victory came in the 2012 Greenbrier Classic, started on No. 10 at Monterey Peninsula and birdied four of his first five holes before making an eagle at No. 16. He added four birdies in six holes to start the front nine and tied Johnson at 14-under 201.
DJ, whose seven top-10 finishes in the tournament include victories in 2009 and 2010, sank a six-foot eagle putt on the second hole but made three bogeys on the back nine in a 2-under 70 at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Jason Day of Australia, ranked 10th, had a 69 at Pebble Beach and is two strokes back in a tie for third with Troy Merritt, who shot the same score at Monterey Peninsula, while second-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain carded a 2-under 70 at Spyglass Hill Golf Club and is three back in a tie for fifth with Steve Stricker, who recorded a 70 at Pebble Beach, and Patrick Rodgers of Stanford, who had a 69 at Pebble.
Chez Reavie is four shots behind in a tie for eighth after a 66 at Monterey Peninsula, while four-time tournament winner Phil Mickelson posted a 72 at Pebble and is one more shot back in a tie for ninth with Beau Hossler of Rancho Santa Margarita, who struggled to a 74 at Monterey Peninsula, Brian Gay, who had a 68 at Pebble Beach, and Kevin Streelman, who wound up with a 72 at Pebble.
Defending champion and third-ranked Jordan Spieth shot 70 at Pebble Beach and is tied for 16th, while eighth-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, playing in the event for the first time, had a 72 at Pebble Beach and missed the 54-hole cut by two strokes.
The entire final round will be played at Pebble Beach.
For complete results, visit https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.
