Piercy: course record

AFP/Reno

Scott Piercy birdied eight of nine holes on the front nine and capped his round with an eagle at 18 on Saturday to post a course-record 11-under 61 to seize the third-round lead at the Reno-Tahoe Open.
He had a 54-hole total of 13-under 203 in the $3 million event, which is being played while most of the world’s top players compete at the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational.
Piercy, who is seeking his first US PGA Tour title in his third season on the tour, opened with a par at the first hole of the Jack Nicklaus-designed Montreux course.
The 32-year-old from Las Vegas then birdied the next eight holes, equalling the longest birdie streak and the lowest nine holes in relation to par posted on the US tour this season.
Piercy added birdies at 14 and 15, gave back a stroke with a bogey at 17, then eagled the par-five 18th.
At the last he drove the ball 340 yards and landed his approach within seven feet.
“It was fun to see the ball go in the hole,” said Piercy, a two-time winner on the developmental Nationwide Tour who currently is ranked 142nd on the PGA money list.
Piercy finished the day two strokes in front of Josh Teater, who shot a 66 for 205.
Australia’s 1995 PGA Champion Steve Elkington, whose last US victory was at Doral in 1999, followed a 65 on Friday with a 68 to get to 10-under 206.
He was tied for third with 2006 Reno champ Chris Riley, first-round leader Nick O’Hern of Australia, Pat Perez, John Merrick and Blake Adams.
Two-time Reno champion Vaughn Taylor and 2007 winner Steve Flesch were at 9-under.
Even in the midst of his birdie barrage, Piercy said he wasn’t thinking about perhaps accomplishing that rare feat—shooting a 59. He did know he was one shy of the US PGA Tour record nine straight birdies, established by Mark Calcavecchia in the second round of the 2009 Canadian Open.
“I wasn’t thinking 59. If I would have made the birdie on 13 I might have thought about it a little more,” said Piercy, who missed a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-five 13th.
Piercy started the day seven shots adrift on two-under.
His run of eight straight birdies ended at the par-four 10th when he missed a 27-foot birdie putt. When his eagle putt dropped at 18, he wrapped up a 61 that was three strokes better than his previous career best round.
He also improved on the course record of 62 achieved by six players, most recently Canada’s Graham DeLaet last year.
Piercy said he’d been frustrated on Thursday and Friday because he was hitting the ball well but couldn’t get the putts to drop.
“I told my caddie yesterday if I can keep hitting it well and get a few balls to go in the hole, we might do something special,” he said. “I didn’t think this, but I’ll take it when I can get it, you know?”