Marc Warren and former Aviemore champ Brooks Koepka stormed into the early clubhouse lead on day three of the PGA Championship and with Koepka revealing his step-mother has held a long-time crush on Colin Montgomerie.
Warren birdied his closing three holes and coming from a share of 53rd place on the first tee and into a then tied for 10th place with five under par 66 in sometimes driving rain for a similar five under par tally in suburban Louisville, Kentucky.
The Glaswegian was joined some 30 minutes later by the American Koepka, who birdied his last two holes also in a 66 and playing alongside Colin Montgomerie who matched the effort of the 2013 Scottish Hydro Challenge winner by also birding his last two in a second straight 72 to slip to one over par.
Warren, who qualified for this year’s season-ending Major by finishing T12th a year ago at Oak Hill, grabbed seven birdies and had just two bogeys and also needing just 27 putts and two fewer than a day earlier.
Scotland’s Marc Warren finding delight not only with the shortest club in his bag but new 8.9 degree V-Series Callaway driver. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
However it was the longest club in Warren’s bag, a new 8.9 degree V-Series Callaway driver that is bringing extra joy to Warren this week.
“I played really well today and setting up my round with some very good driving,” he said
“The first time I saw this new Callaway V-Series driver was at the Scottish Open and soon as I starting hitting on the range at Royal Aberdeen I liked it straight away.
“I wanted to put the driver straight in my bag that week but it was just too early as it still was not on the conforming clubs list.
“It’s got a nice deep face on it but it sits very, very square and something I like very much.
“So with a nice bit of loft it spins somewhat on the low side which also suits me in hitting a fade, and also when the fairways are running.”
“Overall, it gives me a lot more firepower off the tee and I just feel really stable using it, and there is no off hits and I feel I can really just hit it to anywhere I want to.”
Warren has now set himself the goal of producing a similar low score over today’s (SUN) final round before returning back home with his wife and young son.
“I would be delighted with another 66 but it’s a long, tough golf course and today really I just managed to get reward by holing a few more putts,” he added.
“I feel if I can strike the ball the same and hole some putts then a 66 would be a good reward, and maybe also I can do what I managed to achieve last year and finish up high enough to qualify for next year’s PGA Championship.”
The 24-year old Koepka qualified also for a second PGA Championship in currently being ranked inside the top-100 at World No. 75.
And while delighted with his own effort he spoke of the pleasure in playing alongside Monty.
“It was good playing alongside Colin as I have watched and admired him play for a long time,” said the Florida-born player.
“Also my step-mum, Sherry is a big fan of Colin’s but then I didn’t mention that today to him.
“So when I was younger and every time Colin would be featuring on TV coverage my step-mum and I would be watching him compete, and she was really pleased when the draw came out knowing I would be playing with Colin.
“I don’t know what it is that she likes about him but she always has.
“He was great to play alongside today and while he struggled there towards the middle of the round, he seemed a really nice guy and it was joy to play with him.
“And even though he’s naturally lost a bit of length off the tee, he is still very, very competitive and that’s been seen this year with Colin winning two Senior Major’s.”
Monty went into the third round of his first regular Major in four year at level par having birdied the last a day earlier to ensure he made the Valhalla cut.
His third round was a mix of five bogeys and just as many birdies, including holing putts from four feet at the 17th and then getting up-and down from a greenside bunker at 18 by landing a 64-foot bunker shot to seven feet for birdie.
“It was great to birdie the last two but the rest of the round was hard work, hard work today,” he said.
“We had a big shower about 90 minutes into our round and flooded the course, and it almost became unplayable and even longer.
“But overall the three days have been okay and I haven’t let myself down or the Champions Tour, and to shoot 70, 72 and 72 around here is no mean feat, so that’s okay.
“A nice reward now would be to get back to under par and if I can score under par that would be fantastic and get in around about level par that would be okay.
“But then I will be looking to get back onto a golf course where I can reach the par 4s and that will be next week in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, New York.
“So for now I am off to eat some spinach because seeing Brooks Koepka play out there was simply amazing.”
