Patrick Reed set a 54-hole PGA Tour record at the Humana Challenge as a third straight 63 handed him a seven-stroke lead on Saturday.
The American, 23, moved into 27 under after continuing his wonderful form, this time on the Jack Nicklaus Private (NP) course. Reed's 27-under 189 is the lowest total set through 54 holes in relation to par. Playing a third course in as many days, Reed holed eight birdies, an eagle and a bogey for another nine-under 63. Charley Hoffman and Brendon Todd are seven shots back after playing the Arnold Palmer Private (PP) course and La Quinta Country Club (LQ) respectively. James Driscoll (66 on the NP) sits outright fourth at 19 under. Reed birdied his first hole of the day – the 10th – and followed it up with a couple more at the 13th and 14th before his eagle at the par-five 16th. He continued his run with birdies at the first, fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth, with his only blemish coming at the fifth. "I'm just going to treat tomorrow as if it's a Monday qualifier, 18-hole shootout," Reed said. "Everybody's tied at even par and hopefully I can go out and do the same thing I've done in the past three days." Hoffman also produced an eagle during his six-under 66 – his coming at the par-five 18th – while Todd went through with four birdies in his bogey-free round. Driscoll's rollercoaster round included seven birdies, an eagle and three bogeys. Americans Bill Haas (67 on the PP) and Justin Leonard (65 on the LQ) went through blemish-free to be tied for fifth at 18 under. A group of five players – Australian Matt Jones and Americans Ryan Palmer, Brian Stuard, Will MacKenzie and Ben Crane – are locked at 17 under. Defending champion Brian Gay missed the cut by two shots after a three-under 69 left him at seven under.