Boros clings to first place

ROARING BROOK TWP. – Guy Boros gave away the lead, then shared it for a while.

But when the third round of the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic was over, Boros was right back where he started Saturday – alone in the lead of the Nationwide Tour event.

On a record day for scoring when as many as six players shared the lead at one time, Boros rallied to birdie two of the final four holes and shoot 68 at Elmhurst Country Club. The 20-year touring pro is at 11-under-par 199 and will be seeking his first win since 2003 when he tees off this afternoon with a one-stroke lead over Chris Tidland and Henrik Bjornstad.

“I played pretty well, I just didn’t putt very well,” said Boros, who had grabbed the lead by shooting 64 for Friday’s best round. “That’s the difference between being 4- or 5-under for the day and being 2-under.”

Boros bounced around a crowded leaderboard while Gary Christian led a series of players who made a move.

Christian matched the course record with a 63 to get to 9-under along with Martin Flores, who shot 64; Mathias Gronberg and Peter Tomasulo, who each had 65s; and Kevin Chappell, who three-putted 18 to fall out of a tie for second place.

Four more players are four shots back at 7-under and seven are five shots off the lead.

Boros, who has not played in the final group since his last win, said he will be watching the leaderboard as the round develops.

“I think it’s silly not to,” said the son of World Golf Hall of Famer Julius Boros. “It’s nice to know where you’re at; if you need a bird, if it’s OK to par or even a take a bogey when in trouble.”

Tidland, who ranks second on the Tour money list, shot 65 to catch Bjornstad, who started the day in sole possession of second place and had at least a piece of the lead for much of the round.

“It’s obviously a great feeling,” said Tidland, who is in position to grab one of the spots on next year’s PGA Tour that go to the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour. “Everyone on Tour except one guy would like to be there.”

Tidland got into second place with a strong start and finish, two consecutive birdies at 1 and 2, then again at 17 and 18.

“I made a bomb on 2, which is like gaining a shot and a half on the field,” Tidland said of the 530-yard hole that the pros are playing as a par 4. “It’s the toughest hole on the course.”

Bjornstad has been the steadiest golfer in the field with an opening 66 followed by two straight 67s. He took the lead with three straight birdies on 10 through 12, then remained in contention with six straight pars to finish.

Christian had seven birdies, 11 pars and little trouble until scrambling for par after putting his tee shot in the trees on 18.

“It was one of those rounds where I was comfortable and relaxed,” Christian said. “I wish I could do it more often.”

The 38-year-old from England is in the top 100 in money on the Nationwide Tour for the fourth straight year but still seeking his first career victory. He said Saturday’s round gives him a chance.

“It was a bit of everything,” Christian said. “I barely miss-hit a shot and barely missed a putt.

“I had been struggling with my ball-striking and inconsistency,” Flores said. “I feel like I found something (Friday).”

Gronberg spent most of the season on the PGA Tour, but picked up a win at the Melwood Prince George’s County Open, one of his three previous Nationwide events.

The 39-year-old from Stockholm, Sweden, had four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine.

“I was very happy with the way I finished up the round,” said Gronberg, who missed part of last season and the start of this season with a tendon tear on the outside of his left foot.

Tomasulo has played 22 PGA Tour events, but made just four cuts leaving him 199th on the money list. That left him out of the group of 125 players in the four-week playoff run up to the Tour Championship.

An eagle on the 323-yard 14th and birdies at 16 and 17 lifted Tomasulo briefly into a share of first place.

“On 14, it was a little downwind and you could easily drive it,” Tomasulo said of the dogleg left. “I hit it left of the green and chipped in. I had a good lie in the rough.”

Chappell, the 2008 NCAA champion from UCLA, had an uneventful round going to stay in the battle for the lead. Playing with Boros and Bjornstad, he was within a stroke of the lead until missing a short putt at 18 for his first bogey of the day.

Soggy conditions made it easier to fire at pins leading to an average score of 68.403, one day after it was exactly 71. After Friday’s round was played without a single eagle, there were eight Saturday.

Tee times for today’s final round began at 7:36 a.m., with twosomes going off the first tee only. Boros and Tidland go off in the last group at 1 p.m.