RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Ricky Castillo hoped to be in Florida this week for his first $20 million signature occasion. As an alternative he is on the Puerto Rico Open and making it repay, posting a bogey-free spherical of 4-under 68 in robust wind Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the ultimate spherical.
On a day of huge actions — John Daly II tied for the lead at one level and 18-year-old Blades Brown difficult once more — Castillo chipped in for birdie on the twelfth gap and saved a gentle hand on the closing holes at Grand Reserve Golf Membership.
Castillo was at 12-under 204 and can be within the last group with John Parry of England, who earned his PGA Tour card off the European tour standings final yr.
“That is the place that every one of us have dreamed of and need to be in an opportunity to win a golf event,” Castillo mentioned. “I have been lucky to have that chance a couple of occasions and have not gotten it carried out, so hopefully we’ll do it tomorrow.”
Brown holed a 50-foot eagle putt on the par-5 14th, the spotlight of his 3-under 69 that offers {the teenager} a second probability this yr to develop into the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years. He was within the last group with Scottie Scheffler at The American Specific till fading Sunday.
“All that is simply expertise,” mentioned Brown, who graduated highschool in January.
He did not do quite a bit mistaken that week. A pair of late bogeys lengthy after Scheffler had pulled away led to a 74 and dropped him right into a tie for 18th. However the child did not look overwhelmed taking part in subsequent to the No. 1 participant on the earth and appears ahead to Sunday.
“Simply having that second and that have with Scottie and Si Woo (Kim) and being within the last group goes to assist me tomorrow being within the hunt once more,” Brown mentioned. “I am actually trying ahead to it. I like to compete and it should be a enjoyable day tomorrow.”
Matti Schmid shot 68 and was within the group one shot behind together with Chandler Blanchet, who took a four-shot lead into the third spherical and misplaced too many photographs on the inexperienced, notably a few quick putts. Blanchet shot 74.
Daly, the 22-year-old son of two-time main champion John Daly, additionally seems to be poised in his PGA Tour debut. He had a share of the lead when he hit 5-iron onto the inexperienced on the par-5 12 for eagle that put him at 10 below. And on the subsequent par 5, he took driver off the deck to the entrance of the inexperienced, solely to three-putt for par from about 75 toes.
However he missed the inexperienced left on the 18th, chipped too strongly and ended a streak of 46 consecutive holes with no bogey when he lipped out the 15-foot par putt.
“It was stable,” he mentioned of his spherical. “For certain it was the windiest day of the week up to now. It was actually arduous to get the numbers proper. However stayed in it properly, hit some good photographs. Sucks to make my first bogey shortly on 18. Hit a great second shot, simply the wind let it rise within the air. Oh, properly, it was a great day.”
Castillo was 11 factors away from moving into the Arnold Palmer Invitational with its $20 million purse. The winner of the Puerto Rico Open – the $4 million purse is the same as what the winner will get at Bay Hill – will get a spot in The Gamers Championship and the PGA Championship.
