Third-round notebook – John Deere Classic
* Eric Axley fired a four-under 67 in round three of the John Deere Classic to take a share of the lead into Sunday’s final round. It marks the first time he has posted three consecutive rounds in the 60s this year and first since rounds two-four at last year’s Wyndham Championship. * Eric Axley has led after 54-holes just once prior. At the 2006 Valero Texas Open, back-to-back seven-under-par 63s gave the Tennessee native a four-stroke lead headed into the final round. Axley won the Tournament by three strokes.
* Brad Adamonis, who suffers from Nystagmus, a form of vertigo, posted a third consecutive 5-under-par 66 in Saturday’s third round of the John Deere Classic to take a share of the lead with Eric Axley and Kenny Perry. Adamonis has never been a leader/co-leader after 54-holes of a PGA Tour event. The closest he has been after 54-holes came at the 2008 Travelers Championship in June, when he was T15 and 5 strokes off Stewart Cink’s lead. Adamonis finished T6 in Hartford, a PGA Tour career best.
* Kenny Perry fired a four-under-par 67, his 11th consecutive round in the 60s, to take a share of the 15-under- par lead into Sunday’s final round with Brad Adamonis and Eric Axley.
* Over the course of the past 54-holes, Kenny Perry has made 19 birdies and just four bogeys, accounting for a scoring average of 67.17.
* When it comes to sealing the deal as the 54-hole leader/co-leader, Kenny Perry is a virtual lock.
Of his 11 victories, he has held at least a share of the lead eight times. At each of his wins this
year, the Memorial Tournament and the Buick Open, Perry began the final round three shots off
the lead. The only other event he won in come-from-behind fashion was the 1994 New England
Classic. He was one-stroke back of Ed Fiori and David Feherty and went on to defeat Feherty by
one stroke after a final-round 65.
* So far in 2008, 15 players with at least a share of the 54-hole lead have gone on to win, most recently Stewart Cink at the Travelers Championship in June.
* Playing in his 10th John Deere Classic, St. Louis native Jay Williamson matched his career low of nine-under-par 62 in round three of the John Deere Classic, highlighted by a seven-under-par 29 on the back-nine. His 62 is one-shot off J.P Hayes’ course record61 at the TPC Deere Run in round-two in 2002.
* Coming into the John Deere Classic, Jay Williamson had made 11 of 18 cuts, with his best finish being a T20 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Still in search of his first win on the PGA Tour, Williamson lost in a sudden-death playoff after one hole to Hunter Mahan in last year’s Travelers Championship. It was his first event on the PGA Tour last year and came through a Sponsor’s Exemption.
* Statistically, Jay Williamson didn’t have a lot going for him headed into this week. He ranked 129th in scoring with an average of 71.39 and 139th in birdies, with an average of 3.02 per-round. Currently ranked 158th in FedExCup points, should Williamson hang on to win, he would likely jump inside the top 60 in points.
* Jay Williamson began the day eight shots behind Will Mackenzie’s lead at 13-under par. Should he go on to win, he would tie the record for biggest comeback after 36 holes at the John Deere Classic set by Michael Clark II in 2000.
* Tim Clark, who finished runner-up to Jonathan Byrd at last year's John Deere Classic, is attempting to join Victor Regalado as the only player to finish second one year in the John Deere Classic and win the next. Regalado finished T2 in 1977, two-shots shy of winner Mike Morley, and in turn won in 1978.
* J.P. Hayes, who fired a second-round 61 in 2002 en route to his John Deere Classic win, has at least temporarily set aside struggles this year by posting a third consecutive round in the 60s. His bogey-free, six-under par 65 in round three has him in position to post his best finish of the year. Prior to this week, Hayes had made just three cuts in 16 starts, with his best finish being a T18 at the Stanford St. Jude Championship.
* When J.P. Hayes won the John Deere Classic in 2002, he was tied for the lead with Robert Gamez after 54-holes.
* Will MacKenzie has now played his last 42 holes at the John Deere Classic in 12-under par with 13 birdies, 1 eagle 25 pars one bogey and one double bogey. With the assistance of a 10-foot eagle putt at the par-five 17th, MacKenzie finished at 14-under, one back of the lead held by Brad Adamonis, Eric Axley and Kenny Perry.
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