RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Ricky Castillo had hoped to be in Florida this week for his first $20 million signing occasion. As a substitute, he performed within the Puerto Rico Open, and it paid off, as he shot a bogey-free spherical of 4-under 68 in sturdy winds on Saturday, advancing to the ultimate spherical with a one-shot lead.
At one level, John Daly II tied for the lead, however on a day when there was an enormous transfer with 18-year-old Blaze Brown difficult once more, Castillo chipped in on the twelfth gap for birdie and solidly conquered the ultimate holes at Grand Reserve Golf Membership.
Castillo completed at 12-under 204 and will likely be within the last group with John Parry (Nice Britain), who earned his PGA Tour card from the European Tour standings final 12 months.
“This can be a place that we have all dreamed of and we need to have an opportunity to win golf tournaments,” Castillo mentioned. “I have been fortunate sufficient to have the chance to do it a couple of occasions, however I have never achieved it but, so I hope to attain it tomorrow.”
Brown made a 50-foot eagle putt on the par-5 14th, the spotlight of a 3-under 69, giving {the teenager} a second probability this 12 months to turn into the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 95 years. He was within the last group with Scotty Scheffler at American Specific earlier than disappearing on Sunday.
“That is all simply expertise,” mentioned Brown, who graduated from highschool in January.
He did not do too dangerous that week. After Scheffler pulled away, two bogeys within the closing levels resulted in a 74, dropping him to a tie for 18th place. However the teen would not appear overwhelmed by enjoying subsequent to the world’s No. 1 participant and is wanting ahead to Sunday.
“Simply with the ability to have that second and expertise with Scotty and Siwoo (Kim) and being within the last group will assist me get again into the hunt tomorrow,” Brown mentioned. “I am actually wanting ahead to it. I really like competing, so it will be a enjoyable day tomorrow.”
Matty Schmidt shot a 68 and was in a one-stroke group with Chandler Blanchett, however though Blanchett entered the third spherical with a four-stroke lead, he missed too many pictures on the inexperienced, particularly a couple of brief putts. Blanchett shot 74.
Daly, the 22-year-old son of two-time main champion John Daly, additionally seems able to make his PGA Tour debut. He hit the 5-iron onto the inexperienced on the par-5 twelfth gap for Eagle to share the lead and end at 10 underneath. Then, on the following par 5, he took his driver from the deck to the entrance of the inexperienced, however three putts from about 75 ft made it a par.
Nonetheless, he missed the left inexperienced on the 18th gap, chipped too laborious, and missed his 15-foot par putt, ending his 46-hole bogey-free streak.
“It was stable,” he mentioned of the spherical. “It was positively the windiest day I’ve ever had. It was actually laborious to get the numbers proper. However I held out nicely and hit some good pictures. It was unlucky that I made bogey on the 18th for the primary time in a very long time. I hit a great second shot. The wind simply blew me up and acquired me within the air. Nicely, it was a great day.”
Castillo was 11 factors away from getting into the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a handbag of $20 million. The winner of the Puerto Rico Open could have a $4 million purse equal to the prize cash gained by the winner at Bay Hill and earn a spot within the Gamers Championship and PGA Championship.
