Date: September 07, 2009
Author: PA Sport

Senden in contention

Australian John Senden will head into the final day of the Deutsche Bank Championship just three shots off the pace after consolidating his position in the top 10. Senden fired a third-round 70 to sit in a share of ninth place at 10-under overall, three strokes behind co-leaders Steve Stricker, Retief Goosen and Sean O&aposHair. The trio finished the day on 13-under to lead another three players – Kevin Na, Padraig Harrington and Scott Verplank – by a shot. American Stricker bounced back from his 72 on Saturday which dropped him down the leaderboard to move back to the top. An eagle at the par-five 18th hole was the highlight of Stricker&aposs round, while he also carded seven birdies, three in his first four holes, and three bogeys in a third-round 65. South African Goosen shot a 68 with four birdies and a bogey, while O&aposHair had to make do with a 70, birdies at the 16th and 18th helping give him an under-par round. Na shot his second straight 66, Verplank his second straight 68 and Harrington his third 67 in a row. Two more Americans, Jerry Kelly and Kevin Sutherland, were a shot further back on 11-under. Aussies Geoff Ogilvy (70) and Marc Leishman (72) are also still in the hunt at nine-under, while compatriot Jason Day is two shots further back in a tie for 21st. Stricker was pleased to recover from Saturday&aposs round. “I was disappointed after yesterday&aposs round, very disappointed,” he told www.pgatour.com. “That one, I was going along fine, I made a couple of birdies on the front at seven and eight, and then didn&apost get it up and down on nine. I putted from the fringe and hit a terrible putt, which was fine. You&aposre going to make bogeys. I don&apost know if I lost focus or what. I got tired, I felt tired at the end of the round. But I just didn&apost make any putts yesterday. I think I had 32 putts.” “So the emphasis today was grind a little bit harder on my putting and concentrate a little bit harder on my putting and make some good strokes, and I did today, which was very satisfying.” “Yesterday stung a little bit and it was nice to come back with a good, solid round today.” Jim Furyk slipped down the leaderboard, a two-over 73 dropping him back to 10-under. Two birdies on his last two holes, though, limited the damage and kept him in contention. Tiger Woods&apos chances of staging a victory charge on Monday looked slim, however. A 72 left him four-under, nine shots off the pace. It would have been even worse for the world No.1 but for a birdie on the 18th.