Aug 23, 2008 - 9:50 PM
0 shoutsBy Simon Lewis PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
PARAMUS, New Jersey (Ticker) -- A disastrous back nine for overnight leader Steve Stricker at Ridgewood Country Club blew The Barclays wide open on a dramatic third round on Saturday.
Kevin Streelman capitalized on Stricker's collapse to seize the 54-hole lead, one shot in front of a quartet comprising Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh and Mike Weir.
"I just tried to play solid golf. I was fortunate to get off to a nice start ," Streelman said. "I'm sure there were a lot of bogeys today. ... So solid round."
Stricker saw four bogeys and a triple-bogey at the 12th dismantle his three-shot lead in this opening event of the FedEx Cup playoffs
The defending champion, Stricker finished with a 6-over 77 to drop into a tie for 11th at 4-under 209. Hunter Mahan, who started the day in second place, skied to a 74 to join Stricker at 209.
"Four back, not a good day today. It wasn't what I was looking for," Stricker said. "I got off to a good start but then just stunk it up."
Streelman shot a 68 to give him his first 54-hole lead of his career.
Singh (66) vaulted into contention with three consecutive birdies at Nos. 14-16, while Weir (67) did just the opposite with three birdies in the first four holes.
"I'm swinging well and I'm putting really, really well," Singh said. "I feel really good about the putting part. So just get the ball on the green and give it a chance, and that's what I did."
Weir posted his second straight 67 and is in a great position since the Canadian lefthander has come off the pace in seven of his eight career victories.
"You're going to have to shoot a low one tomorrow, probably 4- or 5-under, 6-under maybe to win this thing, with that many guys close to the lead," Weir said. "It's going to be a bit of a shootout tomorrow."
Englishman Casey (69) overcame three bogeys by reeling off three straight birdies at Nos. 13-15, helping erase the memory of closing his second round with back-to-back bogeys on a difficult Friday afternoon that had left him five shots off the lead.
"Luckily I got some birdies going after I dropped a shot on 12 and next thing I knew I was tied for the lead standing on the 17th tee," Casey said. "So I'm very, very surprised to be sitting here right next to the lead right now."
Spain's Garcia (69), in his first tournament back after giving up the final-round lead of the PGA Championship to old foe Padraig Harrington, had an up-and-down run with six birdies and three bogeys.
"I think it's still a pretty good, solid round," Garcia said. "It wasn't easy. It wasn't playing easy at all. So we have a good chance tomorrow, so looking forward to that."
Robert Allenby and Jason Day each posted an early 66, leaving them two shots off the lead in a five-man group alongside FedEx Cup points leader Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera at 6-under.
The clogged leaderboard showed 23 players within four shots of Streelman, who is at 8-under 213, setting up a potentially exciting final round Sunday.
Stricker, who won the 2007 event at Westchester Country Club before it moved from New York to New Jersey, held a three-shot lead at 10-under par Friday following rounds of 68 and 64 on the par-71, 7,319-yard course.
Although Stricker got to 12-under with a pair of birdies in the first three holes Saturday, bogeys at the seventh and 11th holes drew him closer to his rivals before calamity struck at the par-four, 475-yard 12th. Stricker's tee shot found the deep right rough and his second shot landed him even deeper in trouble, as he missed the green 61 yards to the left and deep into some undergrowth.
A futile search for his ball incurred a penalty stroke and Stricker's fourth shot fell shy of the fairway before he eventually two putted for a triple-bogey seven.
"I made two stupid plays in a row at 11 and 12," Stricker said. "Really, the one at 12 was one of the dumbest plays I ever made trying to do what I did out of the rough there, and from that point on it was a struggle to get in."
There was more trouble for the Ryder Cup wild card hopeful, as he bogeyed the 14th, 16th and 17th.
Mahan also collapsed with three bogeys and a double-bogey at the 12th.
First prize is $1.26 million.
