CROMWELL, Conn. – Chez Reavie was plodding along during the third round of the Travelers Championship, watching playing partner Zach Sucher extend his lead.
Then came the turn, both for the round and in the fortunes of the two players.
Coming off a third-place tie last week in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, the 37-year-old Reavie matched a tournament record with a back-nine 28 to shoot a 7-under 63. He took advantage of Sucher's problems and turned a six-stroke deficit into a six-stroke lead heading into Sunday.
The 2008 Canadian Open winner for his lone PGA Tour title, Reavie had a 16-under 194 total at TPC River Highlands.
"Zach got some tough breaks early," Reavie said. "I was able to kind of keep plugging along and make a few putts and the rest was history. I kind of caught fire at the end."
Sucher had a 71 and dropped into a tie for second with Keegan Bradley (69) at 10 under.
Looking for his first PGA Tour win, Sucher had it all going his way, until he didn't. He took a share of the lead in the last group Thursday night, came into Saturday with a two-shot advantage and shot a 31 on the front nine. But he bogeyed the 10th hole (a direct hit on a tree had his ball bouncing back toward him), double-bogeyed the 11th (two shots to exit a bunker) and double-bogeyed the 13th (two different bunkers).
Flesch leads Champions
Steve Flesch birdied the final three holes for a 7-under 65 and the second-round lead in the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wis., and tournament host Steve Stricker shot a 67 was a stroke back in his hometown tournament.
