In the next edition of the book Golf For Dummies, author and colour commentator Gary McCord might want to just slip in a picture of Cody Blick next to the term 鈥渕oving day鈥� in the golf language portion of the series.
The Alamo, California, native put on a textbook clinic on how to propel yourself up the leaderboard on the second last day of a tournament, but he wasn鈥檛 alone.
Blick, 23, made a brilliant move Saturday morning, touring the Uplands Golf Club track in a course-record 60 to leap 35 places on the leaderboard. He now finds himself in sixth heading into today鈥檚 final round of the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by the sa国际传媒.
A victory would be his first on MacKenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa国际传媒, but he鈥檚 still five shots behind T.J. Vogel, who led by two coming into the day and maintained that advantage with a fine 3-under 67 for a 195 total, or 15-under par after 54 holes.
Blick actually had a shot at a magical 59, but he wasn鈥檛 alone as Calgarian James Love signed for a 9-under 61 after having birdie opportunities at Nos. 16 and 17 go awry. Love made up for those with a 30-foot bomb, downhill on 18 to fire up the fans.
Love, who won the 2009 Canadian Tour Championship, is fourth at 198 behind two tied for second in Max Rottluff of Germany, who turned in a 7-under 63 for a 197 total and Floridian Jhared Hack, who shot 67.
The scary part is Love鈥檚 impeccable 61 played second fiddle to the 60.
Blick admitted to thinking about a 58, but his tee shot wandered right on the finishing hole. His aggressive approach, out of the rough, fell short and right, some 45 yards out.
His wedge landed above the hole, leaving him a lethal downhill slider for his par putt for 59, which has only been achieved once on this tour, by Brady Schnell in the second round of 2014 ATB Financial Classic. Blick missed the putt and then tapped in for 60, much to the delight of the spectators who had joined along.
鈥淭his is going to sound weird, but I was actually thinking 58. I had two holes left, two birdie opportunities,鈥� said Blick. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to go down, go down swinging. I felt like we did that.
鈥淚t was in my mind, definitely, but today is Saturday and no one wins a tournament on Saturday. That kept me calm and the pressure was eased.
鈥淚 was going for it, definitely. I was in the trees, but I had a swing. We were 175 [yards] out. Unfortunately it came out a little right. Even then, we had a wedge shot to do it (record 59 with an up and down). We were only 45 yards out in the rough, looking straight up at the flag.鈥�
It was a delightful round for the San Jose State product, whose best finish on tour last year was a tie for 10th at the Cape Breton Open, his only top 10 in 11 events played.
鈥淎bsolutely, my pops was on the bag,鈥� he said of dad Dave who caddied for him. 鈥淲e had fun all day, it was great. This was No. 1. This was awesome. Doing it in front of this crowd in Victoria is very special. I鈥檓 very, very happy with today.鈥�
Blick caught fire right away, turning in 6-under 31 while Love was even par through five holes and played the last 13 in 9-under, a stunning turnaround. He, too, was thinking 59 after already having shot one in the first round of the first stage of Web.com Tour qualifying school last fall in Utah.
鈥淚鈥檇 be lying if I didn鈥檛 think about it after getting to 8-under through 14. Three more (birdies) in the last four or five holes 鈥� I鈥檓 playing well and I worked hard at it so it鈥檚 somewhere I expect to be, for sure,鈥� Love said of his position.
鈥淚 knew low scores were out there,鈥� added Love, who caught wind of Blick鈥檚 adventure around his sixth hole, just when he started to catch fire in a bottle. 鈥淭his is a course where you have to stay patient.鈥�
They鈥檙e still chasing Vogel, who drove the green on the short 335-yard par-4 13th and made his 14-foot eagle putt to get it to -16 at that point. He dropped a shot on the 15th.
鈥淥bviously I鈥檇 like to shoot five to six [under on Sunday] to make sure, but I鈥檓 just going to go out and have the same mindset 鈥� that鈥檚 the only thing I can control,鈥� Vogel said of heading into the last day with the lead.
Rottluff, meanwhile, chipped in for birdie on No. 18 for his 63 and is tied for second with Hack, who recorded a 3-under 67. Brett Lederer of Long Beach, Calif., is fifth with a 3-under 67 and 199 total.
Today鈥檚 victor will take home the $31,500 top prize in the $175,000 event. The leaders 鈥� Vogel and Rottluff 鈥� tee off at 1:10 p.m.
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