Jackson Wagner played 15 holes in a bogey-free 3-under-par and took a one-stroke lead over Scott Piercy and Patton Kizzire before rain halted play in the third round of the Safeway Open on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa. Calif.
Wagner, who claimed the last of his three PGA Tour victories in the 2012 Sony Open in Hawaii, opened with 65-67 in the first event of the 2016-17 PGA Tour season, and was 15-under-par for the tournament when play was halted by rain for the second straight day.
“I was hanging on, hitting little quack hooks to the green but just somehow getting it up-and-down and making par putts, and really just trying to survive and make as many pars as I could,” said Wagner, who chipped in from 49 feet for a birdie on the eighth hole, sank a 13-foot birdie putt on the 10th and holed a 31-foot birdie bomb on the 13th.
Piercy, another three-time PGA Tour winner from San Diego State who opened with a course-record 62 followed by a 67 and led after each of the first two rounds, was 1-over for 15 holes in round three, while Kizzire was 5-under for the round after 16.
Paul Casey of England drove out of bounds to make a double bogey-7 in the fifth hole but was hanging in at 1-under through 15 and two shots back in fourth, followed another stroke behind by Martin Laird of Scotland, who was 3-under after 16.
Brendan Steele if Idyllwild and UC Riverside shot 67 and was four shots behind in a tie for sixth with Michael Kim of San Diego and Cal, who had a bogey-free 65, while Whee Kim of South Korea totaled bogey-free 66 and was another stroke down in a tie for eighth with Cody Gribble, who was 2-under through No. 17, where he took a double-bogey 6.
Phil Mickelson carded a third straight 69 and was six back in a tie for 10th with Kevin Na (70) of Diamond Bar, Mackenzie Hughes (69) of Canada, Chez Reavie (68), Justin Thomas (66) and Troy Merritt, who was 2-under for the day through 16 holes.
Defending champion Emiliano Grillo of Argentina was tied for 29th after a 71.
