With sunny skies and a little breeze, scoring conditions were ideal during the third round of the 1998 GTE Byron Nelson, and the players took advantage. Overall, sixty-three of the seventy-nine players shot par or better, with the low rounds of the day recorded by Fred Couples, who took command of the tournament at fourteen-under, and Fort Worth resident Clark Dennis, both shooting 7-under.
Couples had a two-stroke lead over Harrison Frazar, who finished with a 66, and a three-stroke lead over second-round leader Hal Sutton, who shot 68.
"This day went well," said Frazar, "What a neat experience to be able to play in front of your hometown and be in the last group playing with Fred Couples and Hal Sutton." "I hit a couple of funny shots but hit some really good shots coming down the stretch. I couldn't quite get a putt to fall."
Trailing Sutton by one after four holes, Frazar birdied the next three holes to take over the lead at 11-under. On the par-three fifth hole, he hit a seven-iron to three feet. He followed that with a sand wedge to about a foot on his second shot on the par-four sixth hole, and then birdied the par-five seventh by reaching the green in two with a five iron after a massive drive and two-putting. His drive on the eighth hole found a nasty lie in the rough, and Frazar missed the par putt after being forced to chip out toward the green.
After the eleventh hole, Frazar was tied for the lead at ten-under with Couples and Sutton. Accurate iron play left him birdie putts from between 6-12 feet on the next four holes but Frazar was unable to capitalize. He hit his driver into the rough on the par-five sixteenth hole but was able to recover with a chip out of a bad lie left of the green and sinking the ten-foot birdie putt. On the last hole, Frazar guided a nine-iron to within a foot and his birdie moved him within two strokes of surging Couples.
Overall, Frazar was pleased with his round. "I hit some good shots and didn't quite get rewarded for it. But I also hit a couple of quirky shots and was able to recover from them. I think I'm most proud of myself today for being able to get in the flow and keeping my head above my shoulders and trying to play golf."
Sutton birdied the eighth and ninth holes after hitting approach shots to within ten feet and sinking the putts to take the lead after the front nine. Then, "I just kind of got caught in a whirlwind out there" (Couples twenty-nine on the back). Sutton nearly holed a miraculous eagle on the sixteenth hole putting from twelve feet off the green. "I still don't believe it didn't go in."
"It was relatively easy conditions," said Sutton. "My game is really solid right now. I went out there and tried to be very patient and let things come to me instead of me trying to force it. I hit several good shots and ended up right behind the hole putting downhill."
John Cook, the early leader in the clubhouse, was in fourth place after his 66 moved him within four strokes of the lead. Cook used some solid irons to set up birdies on five of the last eight holes. Cook hit a wedge to within eight feet on the par four eleventh; a nine-iron to within two inches on the par four fifteenth; a four-iron to about 15 feet below the hole on the par-three seventeenth; and an eight-iron to within eight feet on the closing hole.
"It was a good day," said Cook. "I always have fun playing with Tom Watson." Recently Cook has been suffering from a physical ailment and hasn't been scoring well. "Kind of struggled with my game and wasn't feeling very well," said Cook. "I finally got it all figured out, so I'm on the right track."
Bob Friend was in fifth place, five shots off the pace, after recording a 68. Clark Dennis moved into a tie with Jim Carter, six shots out of the lead, after his splendid round of 63. Payne Stewart (68), Jeff Sluman (69), and Phil Mickelson (69) made moves up the leader board during the third round but finished in a three way tie for eighth, seven shots behind Couples. Defending champion Tiger Woods shot a 69 and is nine shots out of the lead.
Sutton and Frazar remain confident heading into the final round. "It's always easier to be the hunter instead of the hunted," said Sutton. Tomorrow they will be hunting Fred Couples.
See Mission Accomplished - Fred Couples Takes Command
Notes:
Don Dowell is the Editor/Publisher of Golf in the SouthWest
Dave Stockton Jr. won the second round of GTE's Long Distance Competition. Stockton's drive of 284 on the sixteenth hole (TPC) was good enough to win the $2500 price, which is donated, by GTE, to the player's favorite charity. Ted Tryba took second with a drive of 279 and Mark Calcavecchia was third with a 268.
(May 16, 1998)©