Australia’s John Senden staked his claim for only a second PGA Tour success and a hopeful start in next month’s Masters with a sizzling 64 on day three of the Valspar Championship at the famed Innisbrook Resort in Tampa.
Senden grabbed the Copperhead course clubhouse lead courtesy of four birdies in his opening five holes for a six under par tally in superb scoring conditions at the Innisbrook Resort.
It then left the fanatic Brisbane Broncos rugby league fan, who had watched his side win its second straight match of the new 2014 NRL season, ending the round in third place and just two shots behind American Robert Garrigus who bogeyed his last hole in a score of 70 for an eight-over par total.
Senden missed just three fairways and needed just 27 putts in his second lowest scoring display in 35 rounds in the 2013/14 PGA Tour wraparound schedule.
“I felt good out there today after getting off to a good start when I birdied the first,” he said.
John Senden pretty pleased with himself after posting a 64 on day three of the Valspar Championship.
“I also warmed-up well this morning. I’ve been working on pretty good stuff on the range all this week and that has helped. So I have finally managed to take that from the range to the golf course.
“So I am very happy with my round today and it’s good momentum for Sunday.”
In fact, Senden’s long-time coach Ian Triggs has been present in Tampa watching over the current No. 123 world ranked Senden.
And ‘Triggsy’, as he is more affectionately known, is proudly wearing a Brookwater Golf and Country Club cap and the Queensland Gold Coast club where he’s attached.
After a 2013 season spoiled by injury, Senden is slowly clawing his way back towards the golf’s top 50 and hopefully back into the Majors.
He ended last year finishing outside the top 100 on the PGA Tour money list for the first time since 2004 last season following a rib muscle damage caused knock on issues in his usually flawless swing.
It saw Senden plummet from a career-high of 28th in the world in 2012 to his current world ranking of 123rd.
Now Senden will head into the final round of this week’s $US 5.7m event chasing only his second PGA Tour victory and some eight years after breaking through to win the 2006 John Deere Classic.
If successful, Senden will advance to next month’s Master where he will join Augusta National defending champion and fellow Queenslander Adam Scott along with three other Australians in Jason Day, Marc Leishman and reigning US Amateur winner Oliver Goss in the season’s first major.
However absent from the final round in Tampa will be Senden’s wife, Jackie and their son, Jacob who have had to journey back to their Dallas, Texas home as the youngster has to return to school Monday morning.
