Panzeri holds onto lead in Edmonton
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Joe Panzeri managed just a 1-over 72 on Saturday, but it was enough for him to hold onto the lead after three rounds of the ATB Financial Classic.
Panzeri had fired a course-record 62 on Friday to build a 5-stroke lead, which largely disappeared during the third round. He finished 54 holes at 12-under- par 201 and leads by one over Matt Marshall and Dodge Kemmer.
Marshall matched Panzeri's feat by firing a 62 to head into the clubhouse at minus-11. Kemmer carded a 67 to reach the same score.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}James Allenby (63), Garrett Sapp (66), James Love (67), Michael Gligic (68) and first-round leader Scott Harrington (69) share fourth place at 10-under 203.
The second round of the tournament needed to be completed Saturday, because a lengthy weather delay Friday caused an interruption and play was eventually suspended because of darkness.
But Panzeri needed to play only one round Saturday and didn't initially struggle, moving to 14-under with a birdie at the second.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}However, it was nearly all downhill from there. He bogeyed the seventh and birdied the 10th to briefly recover. But bogeys at 12 and 16 brought him closer to the field.
Marshall, on the other hand, soared up the leaderboard after starting his round on the back nine. He opened with four consecutive birdies, and made the turn at minus-7 thanks to a birdie at 17.
He kept his momentum up on the front nine, with birdies at one and two. He made two more, without stumbling to a bogey, and is now just a stroke shy of first place.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kemmer had two birdies and a bogey on his front nine, but turned in a productive final nine holes to stay in contention. He birdied 10, 11 and 13 to get to minus-11, then parred out.
NOTES: Panzeri earned his first and only Canadian Tour victory last year at the Dakota Dunes Casino Open...Defending champion Hugo Leon shot a 2-under 69 and is tied for 16th at minus-7.