Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez matched his first round by shooting a 7-under-par 63 on Saturday, keeping him in the lead at the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary.
After getting to 14 under for the tournament, Jimenez took a one-stroke lead over Australia’s Richard Green, who fired an 8-under 62 on Saturday.
Jimenez, who entered the event ranked No. 1 in the Charles Schwab Cup race, twice got on hot streaks, pocketing birdies on holes 3-5 and holes 11-13. He had additional birdies on the 15th and 18th, while his eagle on No. 8 dazzled.
From the center of the fairway on the par-4, 440-yard hole, the 61-year-old arced his second shot within two feet of the hole, with the ball spinning back into the hole. Jimenez pretended to holster his club in celebration, then shimmied backward and waved to the crowd.
“I’m very happy to be in this position,” Jimenez told The Canadian Press. “I’m at 14-under par, one shot ahead, but you cannot sleep. Other people are playing very well. You can see the scores.”
Jimenez overcame two bogeys to take the solo lead, putting him a round away from winning his fifth tournament this season.
Green, 54, has four top 10 finishes this season, but is still looking for his first Champions Tour victory. He helped his cause by hitting a hot streak of four straight birdies on the front half (Holes 6-9), added an eagle on 11, then finished his day with birdies on 15 and 18.
It was the best round of the tournament.
“Miguel’s obviously having an amazing year this year,” Green said to The Canadian Press. “He’s going to be tough to beat, so I’m going to have to play my absolute best golf. I’d have to say that today was pretty close to some of my best golf. If I can continue to do that, I’ll be very happy.”
Three golfers are tied for third at 12 under. Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez shot a 7-under 63 to knot things up with Tommy Gainey (64) and New Zealand’s Steven Alker (65).
Alker had shared the lead with Jimenez on Friday, and he remains in the hunt despite falling off the pace by two strokes.
Tied for sixth at 10 under are Matt Gogel (64), Australia’s Mark Hensby (64) and Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen (65).
Rounding out the Top 10 are Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson (63) at 9 under and a pair of golfers at 10 under: South Korea’s Charlie Wi (64) and Jason Caron (66).
–Field Level Media
