Jamerson expands lead to five strokes entering State Open’s final round

Chris McCartin and Scott Shingler did all they could to keep up with Faber Jamerson on moving day at the SunTrust State Open at Independence Golf Club.

McCartin fired a 6-under 66 and Shingler a 3-under 69 in yesterday's third round. They were nearly flawless on the 7,127-yard, par-72 course.

Yet, Jamerson stretched his lead to five strokes with a splendid 66 -- a round tarnished only by a suddenly timid putter that failed to convert three times inside 10 feet on his inward half with a course-record tying 62 within reach.

Still, the Appomattox club professional, who had knee surgery last fall, has put himself in the once-unimaginable position of becoming only the second player to win the championship three times since the two Opens (professional and amateur) merged 25 years ago. Keith Decker won the Open in 1996, 2001 and 2002.

"It's unexpected, but it feels really good," said Jamerson, who sits at 17-under par through 54 holes. He is playing at a pace that should enable him to break -- if not shatter -- the tournament scoring record: 16-under 268.

Jamerson, 32, enters today's final round with a seemingly insurmountable advantage. He's been here before, having taken six-shot leads into the final round en route to victory in 1999 and 2006.

"I shoot 69, and [Jamerson] laps me," said Shingler, who is six shots back at 11-under 205 after closing with birdies on 17 and 18. "I don't have a chance unless something crazy happens."

"I would have thought I would have gained a stroke or two today," said McCartin, perched at 12-under 204. "[Jamerson] really kept the pedal to the metal. Obviously, I'm going to need a little help from him [in today's final round]."

Jamerson, with his game face still intact after carding his only bogey on the 18th hole, insisted he will not let up. Which suggests that McCartin and Shingler will have do even more than they did yesterday to deny him the Open hat trick.

"I'm not going to change anything," said Jamerson, whose 68 on Friday put him three shots clear of the field after the second round. "We worked out a good game plan [earlier in the week]."

The game plan has been simple: fairways and greens.

"I'll keep doing what I'm doing. I need to shoot as good a number as I can shoot and not let anyone else affect me," Jamerson said.

Admittedly, Jamerson could have gone lower yesterday.

"The greens are still receptive," he said. "But the wind probably kept somebody from shooting a really good score."

The wind didn't really bother Jamerson. Instead, it was his flat stick that abandoned him over the final four holes.

Jamerson, an amateur when he captured the title in 1999, missed three birdie putts inside 10 feet on Nos. 15, 16 and 17. The missed 8-footer for birdie on the difficult 460-yard Par-4 16th dashed any hopes of tying the course record. More importantly, he appeared frustrated for the first time since the tournament began.

Then, after missing a 10-footer for birdie on the Par-5 17th hole, a bogey-free round slipped away after a careless 9-iron left him bunkered on 18. He left his bunker shot 30-plus feet below the hole, then barely missed the par putt for his first bogey in 28 holes.

"I don't know how to explain it. There were putts I just left short," Jamerson said. "They just didn't go in. I need to just keep giving myself chances, and I'm going to make a few of them. I feel good about where we're at."

Jamerson said he wasn't aware of the course record, but it wasn't far from his mind, considering how well he was rolling his putts.

"I think 61 or 62 came into mind while it was there," said Jamerson, one of 16 golfers with rounds in the 60s yesterday. "I tried not to look ahead, but looking back I guess I did that."

McCartin's bogey-free 66 included an eagle on the 536-yard Par-5 eighth. He birdied 12 and 13, but couldn't take advantage of the already-battered par-4 15th or the par-5 17th, leaving him in the unenviable position of playing catchup behind a proven frontrunner.

"It's going to take a low number to catch him," McCartin said. "I can only control what I do, but if I make some putts I could give him a good round."