Ogilvy, Laird reel in Glover

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January 14, 2010

Lucas Glover’s lead was cut to one stroke by Geoff Ogilvy in Saturday’s third round of the SBS Championship.

Lucas Glover saw his lead cut to one stroke at the season-opening SBS Championship as Geoff Ogilvy and Martin Laird closed the gap heading into the final round in Hawaii.
The US Open champion had led the 28-man field of 2009 PGA Tour tournament winners by three strokes on 15 under par at the halfway stage at the par-73, 7,411-yard Kapalua Resort Plantation Course.
In more difficult conditions as the wind returned to the Maui course for the third round, Glover was unable to build on his lead, shooting a two-under 71 having carded bogeys at the seventh and eighth holes before recovering with four birdies.
That left the American at 17 under after 54 holes with defending champion Ogilvy just a shot in arrears after a 68 and Scotland’s Laird, who shot a five-birdie, one-bogey 69, in third place on 15 under heading into the last round on Sunday.
The Arizona-based Glaswegian was happy with his day’s work, particularly off the tee.
“I hit it good again today, my only bogey was a three-putt so I played good today,” Laird said.
“That’s really what I’ve been doing well all week and really for the second half of last year and this year I’m driving it great.
“I love this golf course because if you want you can hit driver off pretty much every tee and I’ve been doing that.”
Laird said the return of Hawaii’s high Kona winds after a two-day lull had not disturbed him in the slightest.
“I played the course Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in the winds that we had today and then we played Thursday, Friday and it was like a new golf course for me.
“But it definitely paid off today.
“Now I’m just going to go out and do the same thing tomorrow as I did the first three days, play aggressive, hit a lot of drivers, but it’s one of those golf courses where you’re not as aggressive with your second shots. With the winds you don’t want to be missing these greens.
“But I feel like I’m putting well and if I can give myself 20-25 feet every hole I feel like I can make some birdies.”
Laird will play in the penultimate pairing behind Glover and Ogilvy alongside American Ryan Moore, whose 68 moved him to 14 under par alone in fourth place.
A 67 from South Africa’s Retief Goosen put him in a six-way tie for fifth in a group on 13 under including Open champion Stewart Cink (69), Masters winner Angel Cabrera (70) and American trio Matt Kuchar (71), Sean O’Hair (71) and John Rollins (72).
England’s Paul Casey posted his second 69 in a row to move into a tie for 12th place on 11 under.