Hubbard's dad fires him up for cool run

WASHINGTON - Patience was the key to making birdies for Mark Hubbard, who fired a seven-under 65 to grab a one-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the Sanderson Farms Championship.

The 33-year-old American, chasing his first PGA Tour title, birdied five consecutive holes in one stretch on the back nine of his bogey-free round to stand on 15-under 201 at The Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi.

"I just did a good job of taking advantage of the gettable holes," he said. "It didn't feel as exciting as the scorecard looks because I was in the right spot every time."

Canada's Mackenzie Hughes answered a bogey at the 17th with a closing birdie from 29 feet to finish on 68 and claim second on 202.

"It was big," Hughes said. "I thought it was going to be a tough two-putt so to see that putt go in was a big bonus."

South African Garrick Higgo (68), Austrian Sepp Straka (69) and American Scott Stallings (68) shared third on 204.

World No. 186 Hubbard, making his 164th career PGA start, is trying to improve on his best Tour showing, a runner-up effort at the 2019 Houston Open. He said his father had noted that Saturdays were his worst scoring days last season.

"That kind of fired me up and gave me good energy today," said Hubbard, who made his only birdie on the front nine on a 20-foot putt at the par-four second and needed a 16-foot par putt at the ninth to avoid a bogey.

"There were a couple of times I got a little too aggressive, started going after some stuff I shouldn't have... but I just collected myself and I've just got to stay patient. I'm hitting great iron shots so I know I'm going to have a lot of chances."

His patience paid off with a birdie run that began at the par-five 11th after his approach landed inches from the hole.

He sank birdie putts of about eight feet at the 12th and par-three 13th, from inside four feet at the par-five 14th after driving the green in two and just outside four feet at 15th - then closed with a four-foot birdie putt at 18th.

"That little stretch I went on, pretty much every putt was dead straight up the hill," Hubbard said.

"I got the momentum rolling. I was leaving myself in such good spots they were easy putts."

Hughes won his only PGA title at the 2016 RSM Classic and was excited to join Hubbard in the final group. He said: "You want to be in that cauldron. I'm right where I want to be."

AFP