Third-round leaderboard:
-18 S Stricker (US), J Byrd (US), R Garrigus (US) -15 C Pettersson (Swe) -14 M Kuchar (US) -12 G McDowell (NI), B Haas (US) Selected others:-11 I Poulter (Eng) -9 F Molinari (Ita), E Els (SA) -8 J Rose (Eng)
 Garrigus reacts to his eagle putt |
Robert Garrigus sank an 18th-hole eagle to join fellow Americans Steve Stricker and Jonathan Byrd in a tie for the lead at Hawaii's Tournament of Champions. Garrigus lost his one-shot lead early in the third round but after a late flourish he joined Stricker, who had a best-of-the-day 65, and Byrd on 201. Carl Pettersson was three strokes behind in fourth, with Matt Kuchar a shot back on a 14-under-par total. Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell had a 68 to lie six shots off the pace. Ryder Cup hero McDowell opened with a bogey but played steadily thereafter, picking up six shots for a two-way share of sixth with Bill Haas. McDowell's European team-mate Ian Poulter carded a 70 to lie another stroke back, while England's Justin Rose was eight under following a 69. Garrigus won last season's final tournament on the US Tour, the Children's Miracle Network Classic, and he put himself in with a great chance of also claiming the first event of the 2011 season - a back-to-back feat last achieved by Tiger Woods in 2000.  | 606: DEBATE |
The 33-year-old Garrigus dropped three shots in his opening two holes at the mountain-top Plantation Course at Kapalua. But after his caddie told him to slow down his swing, he recovered his composure and managed five birdies up to 15 before his eagle three on the last. "I thought getting back to under par was going to be good for me," said Garrigus. "That was a hell of a way to end the round." Stricker, who started the day four off Garrigus's lead, had picked up two shots on his front nine. But, after another birdie on the 11th, Stricker was in danger of losing his momentum on the next when he found himself in a bunker, with a two-inch piece of grass behind the ball. Under the rules, Stricker was not allowed to touch the divot at any point in his swing, but, from 178 yards into the wind, he picked the ball cleanly with a four-iron to find the green five feet from the pin. Stricker duly made the birdie putt and managed four more over his remaining six holes. "I didn't think an eight-under round was out there," added Stricker. "But as I got into a roll on the back side, I kept wanting more." Byrd maintained the consistent form he has shown all week, with seven birdies and just one bogey in his 67. Swede Pettersson, who was just one shot adrift of Garrigus after 36 holes, slipped down the leaderboard with a 71, which featured two bogeys. American Ryder Cup player Kuchar made seven birdies from the 4th to the 12th holes to briefly hold the lead. But after playing his last six at level par he had to settle for a 66.
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