COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jim Knous birdied the first five holes and shot a 6-under 65 on Saturday for a share of the third-round lead with Robert Streb in the Web.com Tour Finals-opening Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship.
Knous matched Streb at 12-under 201 on Ohio State University’s Scarlett Course. The 28-year-old Knous, a former Colorado School of Mines player, was 52nd on the Web.com Tour’s regular-season money list.
“Five birdies in a row obviously is a dream come true,” Knous said. “I was just hitting shots good, hitting shots close to the hole. There really weren’t that many long putts. The putt on No. 5 was a downhill trickler about 20 feet, so that was kind of a bonus there.”
Streb, the second-round leader, birdied the par-4 18th for a 68. The 2015 McGladrey Classic winner for his lone PGA Tour title, he was 178th in the FedEx Cup standings to drop into the four-tournament Finals.
“I putted really well the first two days,” Streb said. “It was a little wishy-washy for a few holes today, then made some coming in. So really nice to hang in there. We’ll see how tomorrow goes.”
Joseph Bramlett (65) and Denny McCarthy (68) were two strokes back, and Seth Reeves (65), Curtis Luck (68) and Matt Jones (69) were 9 under.
The series features the top 75 players — Bramlett was 27th, Luck 60th and Reeves 66th— from the Web.com regular-season money list; Nos. 126-200 — McCarthy was 149th, and Jones 151st — in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings; and non-members with enough money to have placed in the top 200.
The top-25 finishers on the Web.com regular-season money list have earned PGA Tour cards. They are competing against each other for tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals. The other players are fighting for 25 cards based on series earnings.
Six-time PGA Tour winner Hunter Mahan was tied for 22nd at 4 under after a 72. He was 159th in the FedEx Cup standings.
Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton also was 4 under after a 72. He was 59th on the Web.com money list, jumping from 107th last week with a third-place finish in Portland.
Sungjae Im, the Portland winner and Web.com regular-season money champion, was tied for 40th at 1 under after a 71.
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