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Bag Chatter

Jun 24 2007, 02:34 PM

<img width="165" height="99" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.golfwrx.com/BagChatter/wp-content/uploads/Jay_Williamson_Travelers.jpg" />Saturday is usually moving day on the PGA Tour, but today at the Travelers Championship, it would be better phrased "rearranging day" as the top 3 players from Friday have remained in their same positions. What has remained constant is Jay Williamson retaining his one stroke lead over the field.
The weather delays that plauged the first two days were replaced by heavy wind. However quite a few players were able to manufacture good scores despite the conditions and par 70 layout. The day began with Williamson and David Toms tied for the lead, but thanks to a strong round of 67, Williamson took the lead. He said, "I wasn't really looking at the leaderboards," he said. "I figured if I could just keep making birdies, making good swings, I've got 18 holes and we'll figure it out tomorrow."
Jay Williamson is by no means household name, even among avid fans of the PGA Tour. Williamson has played a total of 9 years on the PGA Tour and although he has done well enough to keep his card, the 2006 season was a struggle for him with no top ten finishes and the loss of his PGA Tour card. He has played the 2007 season on the Nationwide Tour and has a victory this year at the Fort Smith Classic. Williamson is currently seventh on the money list and if his good play continues he'll earn his PGA Tour card again by virtue of "graduating" through his position on hte money list. However, he has designs on getting an exemption through 2009 on the PGA Tour another way - winning this week, "There's a lot riding on this, obviously, if I really sat there and thought about it, I may be overwhelmed," said Williamson.
However, a victory this week will not be easy with five players within four shots of the lead. David Toms is just two shots back at -9 and although he has five top ten finishes this year, he is still searching for his first win. However he likes his positon, "I'm in good shape for tomorrow, I just have to keep playing. I feel I can play this golf course well." Hunter Mahan burned up the course on Thursday with a round of 62 that could have been much lower had it not been for two bogies. His second round score of 71 brought him back to the field, but he finished today with a solid 67 and is just one behind Williamson. Fred Funk has continued to prove that your age is only a number, after shooting a 65 on Friday and 67 today, Funk is just three shots behind and has proven that the back injury he has struggled with earlier in the year is no longer bothering him. Funk said, "Just in the last week, two weeks or so, my back has started feeling good. I got on this flexibility program, stretching program this guy at home put me on, and it's made all the difference. I'm turning the corner. It's not all the way back, but it's getting better."
 

<table width="256" height="143" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Pos</td>
<td>Player</td>
<td>R1</td>
<td>R2</td>
<td>R3</td>
<td>Tot</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Jay Williamson</td>
<td>66</td>
<td>66</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>-11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Hunter Mahan</td>
<td>62</td>
<td>71</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>-10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>David Toms</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>65</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>-9</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Fred Funk</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>65</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>-8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T5</td>
<td>Nick O'Hearn</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>66</td>
<td>-7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>T5</td>
<td>Pat Perez</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>66</td>
<td>-7</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>


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