It’s a wonder Clay Ogden can even hit a golf ball.
The 27-year old from Farmington, Utah, tore a muscle in his right hand and it has separated from the bone, leaving a nice lump. No handshakes . . . just fist bumps.
“It only hurts when you hit bad shots,” said Ogden, who has been playing with the injury for a month.
After 36 holes, the 2005 U.S. Public Links champion and BYU graduate was feeling no pain and was all alone in first place at the 47th HealthOne Colorado Open at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver.
After Saturday, he was one shot behind South Carolina’s Zack Byrd, whose 6-under-par 65 in the third round catapulted him to the lead.
Also one shot behind Byrd: defending champion Nathan Lashley of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Colorado’s Ben Portie.
“It was a fairly easy round and not a lot of stress,” said Ogden, who defeated Michelle Wie en route to his Public Links title in 2005. “I feel good with my game right now. I feel like I am hitting it pretty good.”
Ogden’s 2-under 69 was marred by one faulty iron shot on the par-3 fifth hole. A tricky bunker shot over another bunker and to a short-sided pin cost him two shots and was the only blemish on his card.
“You just can’t miss it right of the hole there,” Ogden said. “It actually looked like the sand was really dry from where the sun had dried it out, but underneath it was really heavy.”
Byrd started the day three shots behind Ogden, and despite playing only his fifth round in Colorado’s altitude, the former Coastal Carolina golfer and roommate of PGA Tour star Dustin Johnson still thinks there is room for improvement.
“I’m learning more every day and I feel like I am getting better at it every day,” said Byrd, who played in the U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., last month. “But it’s just so different. It’s not like golf back home.”
Most players will tell you the scoring parts of a golf course are the par-5 holes. Not so much the case with Byrd, who in his own words has “butchered” them at Green Valley Ranch despite not having dropped a shot on them.
“I’m just playing them terrible,” he said. “I’ve made a mess of No. 18 every time and been lucky to make par. One of my goals (today) is to play the par-5s better.”
Lashley’s 66 was bittersweet. He was assessed a two-stroke penalty by CGA officials on No. 1 for improving his line of play by removing a long blade of grass that was still rooted in the turf.
“It’s disappointing, but that’s golf,” said an obviously perturbed Lashley. “I just have to go out and play tomorrow and see what happens.”
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
