STATELINE -- Most of the 76-player field at the 14th annual American Century Championship figured the newly implemented Stableford scoring format would change things. They were right.
Normally only two or three players have a chance at winning going into Sunday's final round. This year, though, there are 10 players who have a decent chance at catching current leaders Steve Bartowski and Jack Wagner, who both have a six-point lead at +51.
Five-time winner Rick Rhoden catapulted up the leader board with a +30 during his round on Saturday and sits at +45. John Elway and two-time defending champ Dan Quinn are at +44, and Billie Joe Tolliver is at +43. Elway, Bartowski and Wagner have never won at Edgewood.
"I don't care about the money as much as that trophy," said Bartowski, a former NFL quarterback. "I just kind of hung in there today. I am just grateful to stay in the hunt. Sometimes you come out on Sunday and you're just doing time. It's not any fun."
Bartowski picked up six points when he eagled the par-5 16th after sinking a 20-foot putt. He then tapped in for birdie on No. 18 after missing a 15-foot eagle putt from the fringe. Wagner, who nearly won two years ago before a collapse on No. 18, thinks the Stableford, which earns players points for under par scores, has changed how certain players approach their rounds.
"Guys in the back are always a little bit looser than guys in the front. I feel great because I had a spurt of birdies," said the former Melrose Place star. "If I don't play well, I'll be back in the pack in a second. Sunday is always a little different, I think. It's a really, really tough thing to get mind over nerves on a golf course. It's hard to overcome nerves sometimes. You just gotta' gut it out."
Elway shot a 3-under on the back nine Saturday but was unable to either birdie or eagle any of the last five holes, which is where most players separate themselves at Edgewood. Quinn, who seems a bit displeased at the new scoring format, thinks whoever decided to change from stroke play will get the result they wanted today.
"It's a weird thing seeing the numbers coming at you," said Quinn, who followed his first round score of +28 with a +18 on Saturday. "If the objective was to get some excitement, it should be tomorrow. I haven't really played that well. There's not much else to say. I played very bad, simple as that."
Brett Hull, Al Del Greco and Chris Chandler are all within 11 points of the lead. Del Greco won the tournament in 1999. Today's winner takes home the $100,000 winner's check.
