Pate Comes From 9 Shots Back to Lead by Stroke in Florida
Steve Pate shot an eight-under-par 64 to come from nine shots back and take the third-round lead Saturday in the $800,000 Honda tournament.
Pate one-putted 11 times on the TPC course at Eagle Trace en route to his score.
That combined with a collapse by second-round leader Dan Pohl gave Pate with a one-stroke lead going into today’s final round.
Pate, a two-time winner last season, completed 54 holes in 201, 15-under par. He was among the 72 golfers whose second rounds were halted by darkness Friday night.
“I was 4-under with seven to play,” Pate said. “I knew the cut would be 4-under, so I was just trying to get in the last two rounds.”
Pate birdied three of those seven second-round holes, then moved in front with his bogey-free third round.
Pohl, who led by three strokes after shooting a 62 in the second round, shot a 75 and was two strokes back at 203.
Blaine McCallister, Larry Rinker and Ted Schulz were tied for second at 202.
McCallister finished off a 65 with a chip-in birdie on the 18th hole. Rinker made birdie putts from off the green on the 11th and 14th and holed a 115-yard sand-wedge shot for an eagle-2 on the 16th in a 67. Schulz shot 71.
Pohl was tied with Payne Stewart and Jim Carter. Carter shot a 69 and Stewart 70.
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