PGA

Travelers Championship 2018

June 21-24

TPC at River Highlands, Connecticut

$7,000,000

June 21-24

TPC at River Highlands, Connecticut

$7,000,000

Round 3

Paul Casey takes Travelers lead with stunning round

Round 1

Round 2

Round 4

Round 1

Round 2

Round 4

June 23, 2018

Britain's Paul Casey fired an eight-under par 62, matching the lowest round of his career, to seize a four-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the US PGA Travelers Championship.

The 40-year-old Englishman, aided by some swing advice from coach Peter Kostis, seeks his third career US PGA title and second of the year after his bogey-free weekend start at TPC River Highland in Cromwell, Connecticut.

Casey hit all 18 greens in regulation for just the third time in his career to stand on 16-under 194 for 54 holes with American Russell Henley second on 198.

Casey had complained of pulling the ball off the tee but a lesson with Kostis at the driving range saw him improve his posture and adjust his stance closer to the ball to produce the low round of the tournament.

``That's something I rarely see, 18 greens in regulation, so whatever he told me worked,`` Casey said.

Casey, a 13-time European Tour winner, hadn't won anywhere since 2014 until capturing March's US PGA Valspar Championship, edging Tiger Woods and soon-to-be Masters champion Patrick Reed by a stroke.

Casey had back-to-back birdies at the second and third holes and two more in a row to close the front nine, a nine-footer at the par-3 eighth and a 20-footer at the ninth.

After a tap-in birdie at the par-5 13th, Casey drove the green at 15 and made a 23-foot eagle putt to jump ahead by three strokes at 15-under.

``Hit a real neat 3-wood in there,`` said Casey of his approach. ``I was in between clubs. Couldn't afford to be short so I went with the 3-wood.``

At 18, Casey dropped his approach three feet from the cup and tapped in for birdie and a four-stroke edge.

India's Anirban Lahiri shared third on 199 after a third-round 65 with Americans J.B. Holmes and Brian Harman.

Australia's Jason Day shot 66 to stand in a pack on 200 with Americans Bubba Watson, Ryan Blaum, Beau Hossler and Bryson DeChambeau.

``I put a little bit more pressure on my short game to step up,`` Day said. ``It has been a pretty good week with the short game. I'm chipping really nice.``

The Aussie holds out hope of threatening Casey on Sunday.

``If you get away 2-under on the front side tomorrow and can get something going from 11 on, 13, 15 and one out of the last three, that's where you can start pushing,`` Day said. ``You can put a lot of pressure on the guys in front.``

Watson has won the event twice, once from six strokes back in the final round. He's chasing Casey too but admits it's a long climb.

``I've got to play a solid round,`` Watson said. ``I have to be around 10-under to give him a scare.``

American James Hahn aced the 158-yard, par-3 11th hole with an 8-iron on his way to a 67 to stand on 204.