JDC sets up for wild finish
SILVIS, Ill. — The golf lexicon might have a new maxim.
You can take Tiger Woods off the PGA Tour, but you can’t sap the drama.
A wild third round left the John Deere Classic leaderboard supremely congested, with any one of two dozen players vying for the win and its accompanying $756,000 check.
Quickly becoming the marquee player of a temporarily Tiger-free Tour, 47-year-old Kenny Perry is tied for the lead with Eric Axley and Brad Adamonis at 15 under par through Saturday.
The leader through two rounds, Will MacKenzie is a shot back, as is journeyman Jay Williamson.
Charlie Wi and J.P. Hayes stand at 13-under, and three others are at minus-12.
Perry’s name carries serious weight, but the way so many have assaulted TPC Deere Run this week, a mad finish is all but guaranteed.
“There’s so many guys up there … I can’t imagine someone is going to look at one guy,” Axley said. “I think that would be a mistake.
“It’s going to take a lot of birdies …”
On Saturday, Williamson proved that, with the help of the “lift, clean and place” rule. Soggy conditions necessitated the decision, and scores improved along with the lies.
The 41-year-old Williamson matched his career low with a 9-under 62. Williamson, who has bounced between the PGA and Nationwide tours since 1994, went from 30th place to a tie for fourth thanks to a 7-under 29 on the back nine.
“I wish it was Sunday,” Williamson said after his round. “A lot of good things happened to me. I do feel like I’m a better player now than I ever have been in my life.”
So to is Adamonis, a Tour rookie at age 35.
He didn’t match Williamson’s eight birdies and eagle, but Mr. Consistency did notch his third straight 66. Along the way, he stumbled to just his second bogey of the tournament.
And Adamonis doesn’t expect Perry playing in the group in front of him to be a distraction.
“He’s great, and he’s obviously the guy to beat,” Adamonis said. “But for me, a guy that’s only come in sixth place his best finish, what these other guys do just doesn’t mean anything to me.”
Perry was minus-4 Saturday thanks to a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 18.
The projected No. 2 in the FedExCup standings, Perry has won twice this year. He’s also earned more money on Tour this season than the next six names on the JDC leaderboard combined.
Those victories were the comeback variety, but the leader tag doesn’t faze him.
“I’m very relaxed,” Perry said. “I’m staying in the present better than I ever have.”
For all his 22 years of experience, he’s not relying on it.
“I pump up the kids more than I try to be an intimidator, or try to make them fear me,” Perry said. “If I’m going to win, I’m going to win.”
The general consensus among the frontrunners is around 19 or 20 under will win the tournament.
Sitting at 13 under entering Saturday, MacKenzie was in serious danger of falling out of contention midway through his round.
A double bogey on No. 10 sank him to 11 under, but the one-time Tour winner rebounded with a birdie on 15 and an eagle on 17.
Axley’s turnaround was equally compelling.
The lefty bogeyed three of four holes on the front after starting 3 under through three. But he atoned with a 4-under back nine, and that left him with his first share of a three-day lead since winning the 2006 Valero Texas Open.
With scores expected to remain low, everyone seems to have a chance.
“This golf course is set up for a birdie barrage,” MacKenzie said. “If you don’t like to watch people shoot 15 under through three rounds … that’s pretty good stuff. Kenny Perry is one of the best players in the world right now. I want to watch him. When I’m home, I’m like, man, I’ll watch Kenny ‘High-Bomb Draw’ Perry. … It’s fun to watch.”
Tiger’s year might be done, but the JDC is a long way from over.
Andrew Petersen can be contacted at (563) 383-2288 or apetersen@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.