Brett Quigley will target his second victory in as many starts as the leader entering the final round Sunday of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Richmond, Va.
Quigley won his last PGA Tour Champions event, the Constellation Furyk & Friends, on Oct. 8 in Jacksonville, Fla. He rested last week and is competing this week at the Country Club of Virginia in the first leg of the tour’s Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.
Quigley carded a bogey-free, 5-under-par 67 on Saturday for 9 under after two rounds and a one-stroke lead over Y.E. Yang of South Korea (63 on Saturday), Richard Green (69) of Australia and first-round leader Harrison Frazar (71).
“Nice start, played solid,” said Quigley, who has two career victories on the tour. “The wind was tough today. Then I kind of stalled there at the end, but saw that Yang shot a heck of a score, 63, so I knew there were birdies coming in. Overall, 5 under starting the day, be very happy with that.”
Quigley birdied Nos. 5, 6, 9, 10 and 12. But as he noted, that paled in comparison to Yang’s day, a 9-under 63 that moved him 27 spots up the leaderboard after a 1-over 73 on Friday.
“I thought it was really good until I saw Y.E.’s score and I was like, ‘Holy cow,'” Quigley said. “I mean, what a round that is today in these conditions.”
Yang made eagle at the par-5 16th hole, and birdies at Nos. 2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 18. He hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation.
If he wins his first PGA Tour Champions title, Yang would be the first to capture a 54-hole event on tour after an over-par first round since Esteban Toledo (1-over 73) at the 2013 Montreal Championship.
Frazar followed his 7-under 65 on Friday with an adventurous 71 to get to 8 under. He made five birdies and four bogeys. Tour rookie Green carded five birdies to offset two bogeys.
Defending champion Steven Alker has back-to-back 71s and is tied for 16th at 2 under.
Five of Quigley’s nine top-10 finishes on the tour this season have come in his last eight starts. He said he’s being more patient with himself, not worrying about some things nor trying too hard.
“Certainly (winning) a couple weeks ago freed me up, and I’m just playing nice golf, nothing too like up or down, just pretty steady,” Quigley said.
This week’s tournament is the first of the three Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs events and features the top 72 available in the standings. The top 54 after this week advance to the TimberTech Championship Nov. 3-5 in Boca Raton, Fla. The top 36 then advance to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix Nov. 9-12.
–Field Level Media
