Third-round notebook – The TOUR Championship
* Should Anthony Kim comeback and win THE Tour Championship, he would become the youngest player in the event’s history to do so at the age of 23 years, 3 months, 9 days. Currently, that distinction belongs to Tiger Woods, who won THE Tour Championship in 1999 at 24 years, 10 months, 1 day.* Anthony Kim is making an attempt to win his third event of the 2008 season. With a victory, Kim would be the youngest player to record three victories in a season since Tiger Woods won four Tournaments in 1997. Woods won his third Tournament of that season at the GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic, he was 21 years, 4 months and 18 days old.
* Kim came from three strokes back for his second PGA Tour victory at the AT&T National earlier this year.
* Sergio Garcia shot a 3-under-par 67 on Saturday, matching Robert Allenby with the low round of the day, at THE Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola to hold a three-stroke lead for his sixth 54-hole lead of his PGA Tour career.
* Sergio Garcia, winner of THE PLAYERS earlier this year, is looking to record multiple wins for the third season in his career. Other seasons with multiple victories - 2001 Bank of America Colonial, Buick Classic -
2004 EDS Byron Nelson Championship, Buick Classic.
* Since beginning the Tournament 4-over-par on the first six holes, Sergio Garcia has played the remaining 48 holes in 12-under-par with 15 birdies and three bogeys.
* If Garcia goes on to victory, his opening-round 70 would match the mark for highest first round in Tournament history by a winner. Paul Azinger (Pinehurst No. 2 -1992), Chad Campbell (Champions – 2003) and Retief Goosen (East Lake Golf Club – 2004) all shot opening-round 70s enroute to their Tour Championship victories.
* Garcia has played the two par 5s in five-under-par this week with five birdies and one par.
* Sergio Garcia is 9 for 9 in sand saves so far this week. He also ranks No. 3 in putting average for the week at 1.676.
* Garcia played Saturday’s third round in the final group with Anthony Kim. Besides their Sunday singles match in the Ryder Cup last week, Garcia and Kim have now been paired together four times on the PGA Tour. Garcia has outplayed Kim in all four rounds.
* Sergio Garcia has more victories (7) than any player currently in their 20s.
* Phil Mickelson has come from behind to win 14 of his 34 PGA Tour victories. The last time he came from behind following the third round to win a Tournament was the 2007 Deutsche Bank Championship when he trailed Brett Wetterich by two strokes following round three.
* Mickelson, winner of the 2000 Tour Championship, is making his 13th appearance at this event. He has two top-10 finishes in the 12 previous times he has played this event.
* Phil Mickelson leads the field in putting average this week at 1.563. Mickelson also ranks No. 1 in putts per round at 25.67.
* Mickelson is trying to become the second player to win this event multiple times in the 21-year history of the Tournament. Tiger Woods won THE Tour Championship in 1999 and 2007.
MISC. NOTES
* In the 21-year history of THE Tour Championship, the third-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win the Tournament 14 times, including the last three champions at East Lake.
* The largest come-from-behind win in Tournament history is four strokes by Retief Goosen in 2004.
* Three players in their 20s (Anthony Kim 23, Sergio Garcia 28 and Camilo Villegas 26) are in the final two groups on Sunday at THE Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola. Below is a look at players in their 20s who have finished in the top 5 at THE Tour Championship.
* The Georgia Bulldogs are hosting the Alabama Crimson Tide between the hedges in nearby Athens on Saturday. The Bulldogs have called for a “Blackout” by wearing their black jerseys for the third time in school history and asking fans to wear black as well. University of Georgia graduates Bubba Watson and Ryuji Imada got an early start to the blackout, both wearing black shirts on Saturday at THE Tour Championship.
* In 2008, the third-round leader/co-leaders have won 21 of 40 stroke-play events.
* Ben Curtis shot a 2-under-par 68 on Saturday and is six strokes back of leader Sergio Garcia. Curtis leads the field this week in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation.
* Through 54 holes of the 2007 Tour Championship, an impressive 28 players were under par after three rounds. In 2008, only seven players find themselves below par with 18 holes remaining.
* Through three rounds, East Lake has given up a lone bogey-free round and it was posted by Hunter Mahan on Saturday.
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