Scott Stallings (The Associated Press)
Stallings shot a 9-under 63 to reach 22-under 194 after three days in perfect conditions in the Coachella Valley. He played PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus course after opening the pro-am event with a 66 on the Arnold Palmer course — the site of the final round today — and shooting a 65 at La Quinta.
“I stayed aggressive,” Stallings said. “Playing with John (Rollins) was a huge help. He’s a good guy and he was an easy guy to club off of. ... We made a lot of birdies the last couple days, and so we kind of fed off each other, and that’s definitely what you need to try to do in this format.”
Stallings also eagled the par-5 13th — hitting a 6-iron to 8 feet — and had five birdies in his third straight bogey-free round. The 27-year-old former Tennessee Tech player has two PGA Tour victories, winning the 2011 Greenbrier Classic and 2012 True South Classic.
“I guess you can say it’s conservatively aggressive,” Stallings said. “Like No. 8, I hit a really good drive and had 8-iron. But just because I had 8-iron to a par 5, I fired it in the middle of the green, had a 20-footer and was happy to make it.”
Rollins had a 64 to move into a tied for second with Stewart Cink, Roberto Castro, Charles Howell III and Charley Hoffman.
“We both played real well yesterday at La Quinta,” Rollins said. “We had a good group and the mojo in the group has been positive. It was great to see a lot of good shots, putts going in.”
Cink had a 66 on the Nicklaus course.
“The weather’s just so perfect out there,” said Cink, winless since his playoff victory over Tom Watson in the 2009 British Open. “There really is no way to improve the conditions that you’re playing under out there. It’s the very best it could possibly be.”
Castro shot a 69 at La Quinta, Howell had a 67 on the Palmer course, and Hoffman had a 67 at La Quinta.
Castro had a share of the lead after each of the first two rounds.
“I got a little out of rhythm on the back, but still hit enough good shots to feel good about it,” Castro said.
Brian Stuard missed a chance to become the sixth player in PGA Tour history to shoot 59, settling for a 62 on the Nicklaus course. After eagling the par-5 16th to reach 11 under for the day, he needed to birdie the final two holes for golf’s magic number.
He parred the par-3 17th and bogeyed the par-4 18th to end up in an eight-player group at 16 under.
“I kind of thought it after I hit my tee shot on 17,” Stuard said about a 59. “I had a chance there and just kind of left it on the top edge.”
Phil Mickelson made the cut by two strokes at 11 under in his season debut. After birdieing Nos. 16 and 17, he hit his second shot on the par-5 18th into the water, but salvaged a par for a bogey-free 66 on the Palmer course. The tournament is his first since the HSBC Champions in early November in China.
Mike Weir, the 2003 champion, closed with a triple-bogey 7 on the Palmer course to miss his 17th consecutive cut. After birdieing nine of his first 13 holes — including six in a row — to reach 11 under, he bogeyed the par-3 fifth and collapsed on the par-4 ninth.
Needing a par to make the cut, he hit his drive left into the water hazard that runs the length of the hole, took a penalty drop and hit another ball into the pond.
The Canadian has finished only one tournament — a tie for 70th in the AT&T National in July 2011 — in his last 29 events. He opened with a 67 at La Quinta and shot a 75 on Friday at the Nicklaus course.
Stallings is making his third straight start of the season. In Hawaii, he tied for 13th in the Tournament of Champions and missed the cut in Sony Open
He birdied the par-3 17th for a share of lead with Castro at 17 under, then birdied Nos. 4-6 to open a three-stroke lead. The eagle on No. 8 pushed the advantage to five, and he missed a chance to make it six when his 10-foot birdie try on the par-4 18th slid by the right edge.
Last year at the event, he tore cartilage in five ribs.
“The West Coast hasn’t been very good to me at all,” Stallings said. “My rookie year, I missed my first five cuts, and last year I got hurt at this event. ... I played La Quinta for one round and I played with Carl Pettersson, and after nine holes he said, “Either you’re going to withdraw or I’m going to withdraw. I can’t watch this anymore.’”
DIVOTS: Russell Henley, the Sony Open winner last week in his first start as a PGA Tour member, had a 71 at La Quinta to reach 12 under. ... If Stallings wins, it will be the first time since 1977 that players in their 20s have swept the first three events of a season. Jerry Pate, Bruce Lietzke and Watson won the first three tournaments in 1977 and Watson also won the fourth. Dustin Johnson won the opener this year. ... Stallings also is attempting to become the first winner to play 72 holes without a bogey since Lee Trevino in the 1974 Greater New Orleans Open. ... FedEx Cup champion Brandt Snedeker was 14 under after a 67 on the Palmer course. He’s the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 8. ... Defending champion Mark Wilson missed the cut.
HUMANA
CHALLENGE SCORES
Saturday
Third Round
Scott Stallings 66p-65q-63n — 194
Roberto Castro 63n-67p-69q — 199
Stewart Cink 66q-67n-66p — 199
Charles Howell III 67q-65n-67p — 199
John Rollins 70p-65q-64n — 199
Charley Hoffman 65n-67p-67q — 199
Sang-Moon Bae 67p-69q-64n — 200
Kevin Streelman 69n-65p-66q — 200
Brian Stuard 71p-67q-62n — 200
Kevin Stadler 66q-66n-68p — 200
Brian Gay 67q-66n-67p — 200
Ryan Palmer 65p-69q-66n — 200
Billy Horschel 67n-68p-65q — 200
Lee Williams 67q-65n-68p — 200
Jason Kokrak 63q-69n-69p — 201
David Lingmerth 68q-64n-69p — 201
Nicholas Thompson 69q-66n-66p — 201
Richard H. Lee 66n-65p-70q — 201
Daniel Summerhays 65n-68p-69q — 202
Zach Johnson 66p-66q-70n — 202
James Hahn 63p-67q-72n — 202
Ricky Barnes 65q-68n-69p — 202
Robert Garrigus 66p-67q-69n — 202
Jimmy Walker 66p-70q-66n — 202
Bo Van Pelt 66n-68p-68q — 202
Brandt Snedeker 67q-68n-67p — 202
Bryce Molder 66p-68q-68n — 202
Aaron Baddeley 64p-68q-70n — 202
Ben Kohles 68p-68q-66n — 202
Justin Leonard 67p-69q-67n — 203
Darron Stiles 66p-65q-72n — 203
Greg Chalmers 64n-68p-71q — 203
Cameron Tringale 65n-72p-66q — 203
Harris English 67n-69p-67q — 203
Stephen Ames 67p-68q-68n — 203
Fabian Gomez 69q-67n-67p — 203
Justin Hicks 69p-69q-65n — 203
Matt Kuchar 70q-64n-69p — 203
Johnson Wagner 66n-70p-67q — 203
Carl Pettersson 68n-66p-69q — 203
Alistair Presnell 68p-70q-65n — 203
Steven Bowditch 71n-65p-67q — 203
Robert Streb 67n-69p-68q — 204
Russell Henley 64n-69p-71q — 204
Kevin Chappell 68q-69n-67p — 204
Brendon de Jonge 69q-69n-66p — 204
Doug LaBelle II 64n-70p-70q — 204
Tom Gillis 69p-66q-69n — 204
William McGirt 68p-66q-70n — 204
Jeff Maggert 65n-72p-67q — 204
Martin Laird 69n-69p-66q — 204
Luke Guthrie 73q-67n-64p — 204
Greg Owen 72q-65n-68p — 205
Geoff Ogilvy 70q-65n-70p — 205
D.A. Points 67q-69n-69p — 205
Brad Fritsch 69q-65n-71p — 205
Matt Jones 68n-68p-69q — 205
D.J. Trahan 69p-68q-68n — 205
Bud Cauley 70n-63p-72q — 205
Jerry Kelly 65n-71p-69q — 205
Camilo Villegas 71q-67n-67p — 205
Bob Estes 69q-69n-67p — 205
Phil Mickelson 72q-67n-66p — 205
Stuart Appleby 67q-70n-68p — 205
Lucas Glover 71p-69q-65n — 205
Luke List 70n-66p-69q — 205
Boo Weekley 68q-67n-71p — 206
Colt Knost 68q-67n-71p — 206
Jeff Overton 69p-71q-66n — 206
John Senden 72p-66q-68n — 206
Michael Bradley 65n-69p-72q — 206
Jason Bohn 70n-69p-67q — 206
Charlie Wi 72q-64n-70p — 206
Graham DeLaet 71p-70q-65n — 206
David Toms 75p-67q-64n — 206
David Mathis 70q-66n-70p — 206
Brendan Steele 72p-70q-64n — 206
Shawn Stefani 68q-69n-69p — 206
Tag Ridings 67n-71p-68q — 206
Ross Fisher 74q-65n-67p — 206
D.H. Lee 70q-66n-70p — 206
Failed to qualify
John Merrick 69p-71q-67n — 207
Brian Davis 68n-68p-71q — 207
Trevor Immelman 73q-64n-70p — 207
Steve Marino 69n-70p-68q — 207
Jeff Klauk 68q-69n-70p — 207
Derek Ernst 69n-70p-68q — 207
Joey Snyder III 69n-70p-68q — 207
Scott Langley 70q-67n-70p — 207
Pat Perez 68q-69n-70p — 207
Tim Clark 71q-66n-70p — 207
Henrik Norlander 70p-71q-66n — 207
Davis Love III 71p-70q-67n — 208
Gary Woodland 71n-66p-71q — 208
Webb Simpson 73p-70q-65n — 208
Robert Allenby 68n-72p-68q — 208
Josh Teater 73q-65n-70p — 208
Troy Matteson 70p-70q-68n — 208
Erik Compton 67q-67n-74p — 208
Patrick Cantlay 65n-72p-71q — 208
Robert Karlsson 71n-69p-69q — 209
Joe Ogilvie 71n-69p-69q — 209
Chris Stroud 69p-66q-74n — 209
Eric Meierdierks 70p-70q-69n — 209
David Hearn 71n-66p-72q — 209
Mark Wilson 77q-66n-66p — 209
Mike Weir 67q-75n-67p — 209
Bill Haas 70n-68p-71q — 209
Matt Every 69p-69q-71n — 209
Jesper Parnevik 67n-73p-69q — 209
Kevin Na 69p-70q-70n — 209
Cameron Percy 72p-68q-69n — 209
Steve Jones 74p-67q-69n — 210
Dicky Pride 69n-70p-71q — 210
Jhonattan Vegas 68n-69p-73q — 210
Jeff Gove 73p-69q-68n — 210
Ben Crane 71n-68p-71q — 210
Patrick Reed 74q-68n-68p — 210
Casey Wittenberg 69q-69n-72p — 210
Justin Bolli 71p-70q-69n — 210
Wes Short, Jr. 70n-71p-69q — 210
Ken Duke 72q-65n-73p — 210
Chris Kirk 68p-71q-71n — 210
Andrew Svoboda 67n-74p-69q — 210
Seung-Yul Noh 72q-68n-71p — 211
Bobby Gates 66n-73p-72q — 211
Scott Gardiner 70q-67n-75p — 212
Aaron Watkins 72q-70n-70p — 212
Morgan Hoffmann 72p-67q-73n — 212
Scott Verplank 69q-72n-71p — 212
Kyle Stanley 67n-75p-70q — 212
Brian Harman 77p-66q-69n — 212
Martin Flores 74n-72p-66q — 212
Paul Haley II 67n-72p-73q — 212
Bart Bryant 72p-71q-70n — 213
Will Claxton 69q-70n-74p — 213
James Driscoll 70p-73q-70n — 213
Lee Janzen 73n-72p-68q — 213
Ryo Ishikawa 70p-72q-71n — 213
Rory Sabbatini 69n-75p-69q — 213
Blake Adams 70p-75q-68n — 213
Steve LeBrun 72n-72p-70q — 214
Brett Quigley 72n-68p-74q — 214
Chad Campbell 74p-67q-73n — 214
Sean O’Hair 70q-71n-74p — 215
John Mallinger 76q-71n-68p — 215
Jin Park 73p-74q-68n — 215
Andres Gonzales 73p-72q-70n — 215
David Lynn 69n-71p-76q — 216
Troy Kelly 73p-73q-70n — 216
Tommy Gainey 74q-71n-72p — 217
Scott McCarron 68q-72n-78p — 218
Chris Starkjohann 68p-81q-70n — 219
Charlie Beljan 78q-73n-69p — 220
Michael Letzig 74p-77q-73n — 224
Mark Brooks 79n-74p-74q — 227
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