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Pavin slows down, but still leading U.S. Bank Championship

3 min read

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Corey Pavin finally slowed down in the U.S. Bank Championship. Pavin birdied five holes, but made his first three bogeys of the tournament, to shoot a 2-under 68 and move to 17-under 193 on the Brown Deer Park Golf Course.

Jerry Kelly (64) was two shots behind Pavin at 15 under. Frank Lickliter (64) and D.J. Trahan (66) were 14 under, and Shaun Micheel (65), Billy Andrade (66) and Nathan Green (67) followed at 12 under.

The 46-year-old Pavin, who hasn’t won on tour in 10 years, had to start off Saturday by playing seven holes to finish his second round at 64 and move to 15 under.

Pavin set a nine-hole PGA Tour record on Thursday with a 26 on the par-34 front side and tied the record for lowest score in the first 36 holes of a PGA Tour event on Saturday at 125.

At the start of his third round, he birdied the par-3 third hole, but finally became unraveled by continuing to miss fairways – now 16 for the tournament.

Kelly, the sentimental favorite from Madison, took advantage.

He used the partisan crowd to his advantage early, knocking down a 20-foot putt for a birdie on the first hole and carrying it with five more birdies in the round.

Each time Kelly birdied, Pavin heard it playing in the group just behind him.

Pavin, the 1995 U.S. Open winner who now has the shortest driving distance on tour, bogeyed Nos. 4 and 5 and his six-shot lead dropped to two by the seventh hole.

Pavin found the bunker on No. 4, and misplayed a wedge shot, swinging the club hastily back at the point of impact after popping a flop shot well over the pin on the par-3 fifth.

Pavin had nearly lost all the momentum by the par-5 sixth.

His tee shot landed in the deep rough and his second shot was badly struck, traveling just 49 yards. Still, he saved par despite being in the rough just short of the bunker when he hit a flop shot inside 4 feet.

Pavin got back on track quickly with birdies at Nos. 8 and 9, and moved to his highest mark at 17 under with a 20-foot putt from the fringe on the 13th hole.

Moments before, Kelly, who has two career tour victories, had a much easier 11-foot downhill birdie putt that he left 3 inches short.

He grinned wryly, knowing he had let an opportunity slip away.

Trahan let an opportunity slip, too, a few minutes later on No. 16. He pushed a 4-footer for par past the cup and threw his ball away in disgust after settling for his first bogey in 30 holes.

DIVOTS: Pavin’s best finish of 2006 was at the Colonial in May, when was 8 under and tied for 11th.

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