Brendan Steele will have to go wire-to-wire to earn his second PGA Tour victory.
Steele, who has led since opening with a 9-under-par 63 in the first event of the 2015-16 season, carded a 3-under-par 69 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Andrew Loupe and Kevin Na to the final round at Silverado Country Club in Napa.
“I played better than I scored,” said Steele, who finished with three straight pars on holes that were yielding eagles and birdies. “It’s frustrating, because I thought I hit some good shots and good putts. It happens.
” … That was a great round (63) that Andrew shot. I didn’t see it, actually. The way it firmed up at the end yesterday and how firm it was today, you really had to be on your game in order to do that. I guess you never underestimate the talent level out here.”
Steele, of Idyllwild and UC Riverside, who won the 2011 Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour and what is now the Web.com Tour Championship in 2010, has a 36-hole total of 14-under 202.
Loupe, who earned his PGA Tour card earlier this month by finishing in the top 25 in the Web.com Tour Finals, opened the third round with five straight birdies and had four more in a row through No. 17 en route to his own 63.
“I was swinging pretty free out here today,” said Loupe, who earned his spot on the big tour thanks to his victory in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, the penultimate event in the Web.com Tour Finals late in September on the Scarlet Course at Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. “I just want to keep that positive mojo going.
” … I was fortunate to pull out that win in Ohio. (Otherwise) I’d be waiting for the Web.com Tour season to start again in South America (in January).”
Na of Diamond Bar, whose only PGA Tour victory came in the 2011 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, posted a bogey-free 64 that included a seven-foot eagle putt at No. 16 and birdies on the 15th and 18th holes.
Justin Rose of England, No. 7 in the World Golf Rankings, shot 68 and was two shots back in a tie for fourth with rookie Emiliano Grillo (65) of Argentina, Jason Bohn (64), Kyle Reifers (65), Graham DeLaet (69) of Canada, rookie Harold Varner III (69), Jhonattan Vegas (69) of Venezuela and Will Wilcox (69).
Third-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland struggled with his putter for the third day in a row and a 71 left him eight strokes behind in a tie for 39th.
