MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Robert Garrigus is taking inspiration for his own game from his beloved Chicago Blackhawks.
“I figured . . . if the Blackhawks can win the Stanley Cup, I can win a PGA Tour event,” Garrigus said. “I kept thinking about the Blackhawks all day.”
It sure worked Saturday.
Still recovering from a bout of food poisoning, Garrigus got hot with his short putter and shot a 4-under-par 66 to break out of a pack and grab a two-stroke lead after three rounds at a steamy St. Jude Classic.
It’s the first time the 32-year-old pro has led a PGA Tour event by himself, and he surged to the top with four birdies and an eagle against two bogeys to reach 11-under 199.
Garrigus said he usually looks at leaderboards too much.
“I took a peek on No. 11, saw that I was right there near the lead or maybe birdied to take the lead or something like that. I just put it out of my head,” Garrigus said. “After that, I really didn’t look. I didn’t know what anybody was doing behind me. I was just concentrating on my game, which I should probably do tomorrow.”
Swede Robert Karlsson, who shot a 68, is within striking distance of becoming the first European to win this event — the tour’s third oldest dating to 1958. He chipped in from 24 feet on No. 18 to stay close.
Englishman Lee Westwood, ranked No. 3 in the world, had led or had a share of the lead after the first two rounds. He had four bogeys and finished with a 71 that left him tied with Heath Slocum (66) at 8-under.
Memphis native and 2003 PGA Championship winner Shaun Micheel (70) was tied with Tim Petrovic (70) and Lee Janzen (70) at 6-under.
Footnotes.
The third round of the LPGA State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill., was suspended because of thunderstorms with second-round leader M.J. Hur and Cristie Kerr sitting atop the leaderboard at 13-under.
• Thomas Bjorn of Denmark shot a second straight 7-under 65 to take a three-stroke lead over Richard Green (64) of Australia at the Estoril Open in Portugal.
• A day after a shaky start, the U.S. swept all six matches at the Curtis Cup in Manchester-By-The-Sea, Mass., to take an 8 1/2-3 1/2 lead over Great Britain and Ireland.
