PRATTVILLE, Ala. -- Overnight leader Justin Bolli only managed a 1-over 73 on Saturday, but it was enough to share the 54-hole lead of the Nationwide Tour Championship with Nick Watney, who shot a 71 in the third round.
The duo is knotted at 12-under-par 204 and leads by one over Kevin Stadler, who posted a 2-under 70. If Stadler wins on Sunday, he will graduate to the PGA Tour due to a ‘battlefield promotion’ for players who win three times in one season.
This is the final event of the 2004 season and is reserved for the top 60 on the money list. The top-20 on the money list after Sunday’s final round advance to the PGA Tour for the 2005 PGA Tour campaign.
Bolli, who held a one-shot lead heading into the final round, struggled with one birdie and a pair of bogeys over his first nine holes. He fell further down the leaderboard with back-to-back bogeys at the 12th and 13th holes, but rebounded late in his round.
He birdied the par-5 17th, then added another birdie at the last to join Watney in a share of first.
Watney, a Nationwide Tour rookie, started out poorly like his co-leader. He was 1 over after the opening nine, thanks to a pair of birdies, a bogey and a double bogey at the par-3 seventh.
But Watney, a 23-year-old who finished second last week at the Miccosukee Championship to move to 19th on the money list, rebounded from the mediocre front nine.
He hit a 3-wood for his second shot at the par-5 10th and got a great bounce in front of the green. Watney’s ball rolled to the back of the green some 18 feet from the flag, where he two-putted for birdie.
Watney hit a poor tee ball at the par-3 16th that came up 55 feet short of the hole. He drained the improbable birdie putt to reach 12 under par, where Bolli joined him.
‘I’m trying to do my best and add them up at the end,’ said Watney, who is winless in his rookie season. ‘I was playing well coming in, but part of that is I’ve learned a lot this year. I’m trying to ride it out.’
Nathan Green (69), Ryuji Imada (70), Brett Wetterich (71) and D.J. Trahan (70) are tied for fourth place at 10-under-par 206 at The Senator Course at Capitol Hill.
Kyle Thompson carded an even-par 72 and is alone in eighth place at minus-9, followed by Mathew Goggin, who fired a 4-under 68 and has sole possession of ninth place at 8-under-par 208.
Related Links:
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up