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Billy Hurley III
stays out front at Greenbrier Classic...
Billy Hurley III, tees of on the 17th hole during the
third round of the Greenbrier Classic golf tournament at
the
Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.,
Saturday, July 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Chris Tilley)
Billy Hurley III doesn’t plan to lose
much rest sitting on a third-round lead
for the first time on the PGA Tour.
The former U.S. Navy officer shot a
3-under 67 Saturday to extend his
advantage to two strokes over Angel
Cabrera entering the final round of the
Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur
Springs, West Virginia.
“I’ve been working for a long time to
win on the PGA Tour,” Hurley said. “I
figure if I shoot the lowest score
tomorrow, I can’t lose.”
Hurley never relinquished the lead he
has held since midway through the second
round at Old White TPC. He birdied the
par-5 12th and par-4 13th before
dropping a stroke on the par-3 15th.
He had a 12-under 198 total. No
third-round leader has won the
Greenbrier Classic, now in its fifth
year. Playoffs have decided the
tournament twice.
Cabrera shot 64. He’s looking for his
first non-major win on the PGA Tour.
Kevin Chappell (UCLA) was third at 9
under after a 69. Steve Stricker had a
68 to top the group at 8 under.
There will be more than a trophy to
raise and a $1.2 million winner’s check
available today. The four best finishers
not previously eligible for the British
Open among the top 12 on the final
leaderboard will earn spots in the July
17-20 tournament at Royal Liverpool.
Hurley finished his five-year Navy
service in 2009 and would still be a
naval officer if golf wasn’t keeping him
busy. He returned to the PGA Tour this
year after playing on the Web.com Tour
in 2013.
He said nerves won’t play a part in how
he gets ready for what could be a
memorable day.
“I’m going to keep doing what I’m
doing,” he said. “I just want to put my
mind in position so that I can play
well. I slept fine last night. The
benefit of the Navy if you learn how to
sleep anywhere. I think I’ll sleep fine
tonight, too.”
Cabrera wore an Argentine blue shirt in
the third round and is riding his
country’s momentum in the World Cup,
including Saturday’s 1-0 win over
Belgium to advance to the semifinal
round.
“I was very happy when I found out they
won,” Cabrera said, adding that he was
equally as giddy when he started his
round with four birdies on the first six
holes.
Old White sets up nicely for Cabrera’s
long drives and he made four birdie
putts of 19 feet or longer.
“I was able to get the speed of the
greens, and that was the big
difference,” Cabrera said.
At the Wells Fargo Championship in May,
Cabrera was the second-round leader but
closed with a pair of 75s.
Another under-par round today would mark
the first time that he has had four
rounds in the 60s since the 2010
Deutsche Bank Championship.
Chappell barely got anything going until
making a 12-foot putt for birdie on the
par-5 17th.
“I don’t think I’ve had my best
ball-striking day yet,” he said.
“Hopefully, my putter gets hot and (it)
should be fun.”
Joining Stricker in the group at 8 under
were Michael Thompson (64), Cameron
Tringale (64), Will Wilcox (65), Joe
Durant (66), Camilo Villegas (67) and
Chris Stroud (70).
Stricker, in his eighth tour event this
year, will compete next week at John
Deere and is leaning against going to
the British Open unless he has one or
more high finishes before then.
The highlight of Stricker’s third round
was a bending 42-foot putt for birdie on
the first hole. He was 1 over on his
round at the turn before making three
birdies the rest of the day.
“Anything can happen and that’s the
truth,” Stricker said. “There are not a
lot of guys in between me and the lead
... but there are a ton of guys right
behind us. So anybody can come out of
the pack here.”
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