Updated at 9:59 p.m., Saturday, February 3, 2007
Quinney leads PGA's FBR Open; Wilson shoots 65
Associated Press
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jeff Quinney survived the wildest day at the PGA Tour's biggest party.Now the rookie is 18 holes away from his first PGA Tour victory.
Quinney shot a 3-under 68 to hold on to a two-stroke lead in front of a raucous, near-record crowd of 162,750 today in the FBR Open.
The former Arizona State player and 2000 U.S. Amateur champion stood at 16-under 197 heading into the final round tomorrow.
Aaron Baddeley was second at 14 under after a 64, and Brett Quigley (66) and Bart Bryant (68) were three strokes back.
Kane'ohe's Dean Wilson shot a 6-under 65 and was tied for 16th at 204. Honolulu's Parker McLachlin shot this third consecutive 70 and is tied for 57th at 210.
Quinney, a top-10 finisher in the past two events, earned his PGA Tour card after toiling five seasons on the Nationwide Tour. He tied for fourth two weeks ago in the Bob Hope Classic and tied for seventh last week in the Buick Invitational.
The 28-year-old player, who grew up in Eugene, Ore., entered the third round with a three-stroke lead and was still up by three at 17 under before bogeying the final hole. He just cleared the water on the 438-yard, par-4 18th. He followed with a 9-iron shot over the green, then missed a 14-foot putt for par.
Quinney had six birdies and three bogeys on the sun-drenched, 7,261-yard TPC Scottsdale course, where the big crowd was shy of the record 168,337 who watched the Saturday round last year.
He calmly dealt with the huge galleries that created gridlock along the pathways and, especially, at the beer stands.
''Basically, it's there. It's just your choice how to handle it,'' Quinney said. ''I choose to have fun with it and embrace it, and people are there to have a good time. They want you to succeed, and they're behind you.''
