Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a 4-under-par 66 on Saturday to forge a tie atop the leaderboard with New Zealand’s Steven Alker at the Kaulig Companies Championship on Friday in Akron, Ohio.
Jimenez got to 8 under for the tournament, the third major of the PGA Tour Champions season, despite a bogey on Hole 12 thanks in part to three birdies on the front nine, and then back-to-back birdies on Holes 10 and 11.
The 61-year-old has had a season to remember with three championships, already matching a career high for him on the Champions Tour.
Earlier this month, Jimenez prevailed at the Principal Charity Classic, after previously winning the Hoag Classic in March and the Trophy Hassan II in February.
In the spirit of that success, he’s not stressing the final round Sunday.
“I’m going to go to a nice restaurant, I’m going to have a nice bottle of wine, beautiful big fat cigar and enjoy myself,” Jimenez said. “Then whatever happens tomorrow, whatever happens, happens.”
Alker, who led through Friday at Firestone with a pair of other golfers, managed to remain tied in first with his 3-under 67 despite the Spaniard’s hard charge.
The 53-year-old grabbed four birdies on the day (Holes 2, 10, 12 and 17) to pair with a single bogey on the eighth in becoming the only golfer in the event to shoot below par all three days of the event thus far.
Alker is in pursuit of his second senior major championship, and he acknowledged the difficulty in making par on this course.
“Yeah, I mean, another tough day around here,” Alker said. “Boy, the course didn’t give us a lot with the wind, it was a little bit stronger today, course is drying out a little bit. Again, pleased to get under par and tied for the lead. Just again, go out and battle again tomorrow.”
New Zealand’s Michael Wright matched Jimenez and American John Huston (T22) with the low round of the day at 4-under 66, tying him with Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson for third place at 6 under, two strokes back.
Fellow New Zealander Richard Green is alone in fifth (5 under) after his 3-under 67.
Meanwhile, Tim Petrovic, a Day 2 co-leader who had been one of the surprises of the tournament, fell into a tie for sixth with his 1-over 71. He is tied at 4 under with Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen and Stewart Cink, who both shot 67.
Day 2’s other co-leader, Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez, fell into a tie for ninth at 2 under after his 3-over 73.
–Field Level Media
