Reno-Tahoe Open: Scott Piercy shoots 61 to take lead

RENO - Saturday is considered moving day on the PGA Tour. It's a day where players sometimes make dramatic moves up or down the leaderboard.

Nevada native Scott Piercy made one of the most dramatic moves in the 13-year history of the Reno-Tahoe Open on Saturday at Montreux Golf & Country Club.

Piercy birdied eight straight holes on his front nine en route to a 28 and finished with an eagle on 18 for a course-record 61 in the third round of the Reno-Tahoe Open.

Piercy's incredible round moved him from a tie for 45th all the way up to No. 1 entering today's final round. He sits at 13-under-par 203.

Piercy enjoys a 2-shot lead over Josh Teater (66-205) and a three-shot lead over Pat Perez (65-206), John Merrick (66-206), Blake Adams (67-206), Chris Riley (68-206), Steve Elkington (68-206) and first-round leader Nick O'Hern (69-206). There is a three-way tie for ninth (207) with Brian Davis (67), Steve Flesch (70) and second-round leader Vaughn Taylor (72).

The previous course record of 62 was shared by five golfers - Bill Glasson (2005), Joe Ogilvie (2006), Parker McLachlin (2008), John Rollins (2009) and Graham DeLaet (2010).

Piercy's eight straight birdies equaled the longest birdie streak on the PGA Tour this year, and his 28 on the front side equals the lowest nine-hole score in relation to par this year.

Piercy could have broken 60. He lipped out a birdie putt on No. 10 and said he should have birdied 13.

"It was fun to see the ball go in the hole," said Piercy. "The first two days were kind of frustrating because I hit it well and didn't see a whole lot go in. I told my caddie (Friday) that if I can keep hitting it well and get a few balls to go in the hole, we might do something special. I didn't think (this low), but I'll take it when I can get it.

"I knew if I kept making birdies it (my score) would probably be past it. But there at 10, 11, 12 and 13 I kind of sputtered. I figured 9 or 10 was my guess. I wasn't thinking 59. If I'd birdied 13 I might have thought about it a little more."

Piercy's day started with a par, and then he reeled off the eight aforementioned birdies.

On No. 2, he two-putted from 79 feet for a birdie on the par-5. On No. 3, he put a 9-iron within 8 feet and drained the putt. On the par-4 4th, he hit a lob wedge to 15 feet and made the putt. He holed out from just off the green for birdie on No. 5. On the next four holes, Piercy sank birdie putts of 12, 21, 9 and 6-feet, respectively.

After lipping out a birdie putt on No.10, he settled for par, and then parred the next three holes. He buried an 8-footer for birdie on No. 14 after nearly driving the green and then hit a sand wedge to 2-feet and made the putt on No. 15. After a par on No. 16, he finished bogey-eagle.

"I lipped out on 10 for nine in a row," Piercy said. "I knew that was a PGA Tour record, so I was kind of wanting that one. I felt I should have made birdie there (on 13). I had a 6-iron in.

"On 17, I pulled my 2-iron off the tee so I hit it into the water. I kind of judged the wind wrong. I thought it was blowing left to right and it was blowing left a little. I took a drop, hit it on the green and two-putted."

On 18, he smacked a 3-wood from 276 yards to within 7-feet and made the putt.

Another nice move was made by Pat Perez, who entered the day tied for 34th and is tied for third after a 7-under-par 65 for a 54-hole total of 206.

Perez had five birdies and an eagle (on No. 14) on the back nine after an even-par front side.

"I've played that way all three days, and I finally just put together nine holes," Perez said. "I've been playing great. I played great last week and this week.

"I'm finally even now. I birdied the last hole and finally got even on the par-5s. From 12 I'm even, so I'm way behind the average. I played well on the par-3s and par-4s. Like everybody else, I've missed my share of 10-footers and 12-footers which you're going to have out there all day."

Teater had 33 on each nine with four birdies on each side with a bogey on each side. He currently sits 124 in FedEx Cup points, so he needs to hold that spot to make the post-season.

"If I didn't know that, I've sure had a few people tell me that," Teater said. "I've played a lot. I think it's been 26 events, so it takes me a few more events than most people I guess.

"I've been pretty close to playing well the last few months. Thursday wasn't great, but I held it together. The last two days have been good."

Teater was in the final group in New Orleans once this year, and he said he hopes to draw on that experience.

"I had an opportunity on Saturday (to be in the final group)," he said. "Hopefully I can draw on that if I do good. Even if I don't, you know, I'm still going to draw from it and just go out there and try to take care of business like I did today."