SILVIS, Ill. — Steve Stricker is making it look easy.
He insists that it’s not, even after posting stunningly low scores.
Stricker already has broken a couple of PGA Tour records at the John Deere Classic and has more in sight after opening a six-stroke lead with a 9-under-par 62 on Saturday.
That followed rounds of 60 and 66 at the TPC Deere Run course, which has stood no chance against the assault Stricker and his fellow players have launched.
“It wasn’t easy to start the round today,” Stricker said. “I just wanted to get out there and starting playing.”
And play he did.
Stricker’s masterful round left the tournament’s defending champion at 25-under 188, the best 54-hole score in PGA Tour history. He also has the best three-round score in relation to par.
With a 65 today, he’d break the 72-hole record of 254.
So dominant was Stricker that Jeff Maggert shot a 63 and lost ground. Paul Goydos, golf’s latest Mr. 59 after a magical round Thursday, played well enough to keep pace in most tournaments, just not this one.
It will be hard for anyone to keep up with Stricker the way he’s playing.
The 43-year-old hit accurate approaches to give himself short putts for birdies in most cases, and he deftly extricated himself the only two times he got in trouble.
So just what’s going on here?
“If I knew, I would bottle this,” Stricker said.
Maggert, who started the day five shots behind Stricker, was at 19-under 194 and tied with Goydos (67), who trailed Stricker by just one stroke going into the round.
Molinari leads by one
LUSS, Scotland — Edoardo Molinari shot an 8-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead over Darren Clarke (67) going into the final round of the Scottish Open.
Molinari’s younger brother, Francesco, had a 67 and was tied for third with Peter Hedblom (69) seven shots back.
