Miserable weather conditions continued into the third round of the Stadion Classic at UGA on Saturday with steady rain, cold temperatures and wind that at times exceeded 20 mph. But the UGA Golf Course held up well enough for leader Brendon Todd — a former UGA golfer — and the rest of the field to get through the day.
The rain, which is expected to continue into Sunday, won’t prevent the fourth and final round of the Web.com Tour event from taking place, either. Tee times will be from 11 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., with threesomes teeing off on both the front and back nine of the 7,253-yard, par-71 course.
Todd shot 2 under par Saturday and is at 8 under for the event. He leads New Zealand native Tim Wilkinson, who shot 1 under Saturday, by one stroke. Both Todd and Wilkinson entered Saturday tied for third.
Todd is looking to become the third consecutive current or former UGA golfer to win the Stadion Classic. Hudson Swafford and Russell Henley are the event’s previous two winners.
“I just tried to draw on the positives we had from today,” said Todd, who was a member of the UGA national championship team in 2005 as a sophomore. “My caddie and I got into a good routine out there. We stayed dry. I’m doing everything well. I’m hitting well, and the short game’s pretty good. I don’t think there’s any fear of coming back out (for the final round).”
Todd took sole possession of the lead on the 17th when he birdied a par 5, moving to 9 under. Both Todd and Wilkinson bogeyed on the 18th.
“It’s going to be similar conditions tomorrow, I think,” Wilkinson said. “It’s just going to be a grind out there, I’m sure.”
Nick Rousey surged to the top of the leaderboard after shooting a low round of 5 under Saturday. He’s now in third place — two strokes behind Todd at 6 under for the event — after entering Saturday tied for 24th. He finished the round with six birdies, but a missed short putt on his final hole at No. 9 cost him a bogey-free day.
“I don’t mind this weather,” Rousey said. “Being from (Florida), we always play in stuff like this. I just needed to be patient and let the round happen.”
Also in the hunt is Alexandre Rocha at 5 under. Woody Austin, Miguel Angel Carballo and Michael Putnam are 4 under.
Among Stadion Classic leaders, Putnam (No. 10), Rocha (19), Wilkinson (28) and Todd (37) have a top-75 ranking in the Web.com Tour earnings. Web.com Tour money-leader Edward Loar ($191,483) enters the final round of Stadion tied for 17th at 2 under.
Only the top 25 money-winners of the Web.com Tour regular season will be assured PGA Tour cards for the 2013-14 season. Those who finish in the top 75 qualify for the Web.com Tour finals — the final four events of the season — and get their chance to compete for one of the remaining 25 tour cards allotted to the Web.com Tour.
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