JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Brett Quigley and Jerry Kelly are at the top of the Constellation Furyk & Friends leaderboard for one simple reason: they’re staying out of trouble.
They made hay early and kept their nerve late on a Timuquana Country Club that got firmer under brilliant sunshine and increasing wind on Saturday and as a result, will remain in the final group for Sunday’s third round.
Quigley missed only two fairways and four greens to fire his second 67 in a row and took a one-shot lead over Kelly (68) at 10-under 134.
Kelly did that even better, hitting all 14 fairways and missing only two greens. The difference: Quigley needed only 27 putts and Kelly had 30. Both had one bogey.
Stout group tied for third
If they both trip a bit on Sunday, there is a solid cast of contenders waiting to step into the breach.
Tied for third at 7 under are Steve Flesch (67), who birdied four of his last six holes, including Nos. 17 and 18, the indefatigable Miguel Angel Jimenez (69), who eagled No. 13 and birdied No. 17, 18-hole leader Scott Parel (73), who rallied from a double bogey at the par-5 third hole and a bogey at the fourth and Australian Richard Green (69), the medalist at last year’s Champions Tour qualifying tournament.
Quigley, who has one Champions Tour title in 81 starts but has posted five top 10s since missing the cut at the Senior PGA, birdied his first three holes, added another at No. 6 and then crafted a steady 1 under on the back nine.
He took the lead for good with an 8-foot birdie putt at No. 16, after Kelly and Parel were long and left.
The sixth birdie of the day for @Quiggs4 🔥
He leads by one @FurykandFriends. pic.twitter.com/zVvrXOkUpu
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) October 7, 2023
“Playing nice, doing a lot of things well,” said Quigley, whose lone PGA Tour Champions victory came in 2020 in Morocco. “Just know I’ve got to keep going, got to keep shooting low out here. Certainly being in the last group on Sunday is where we all try to be every week … so I’m excited.”
Kelly has won 11 times on the Champions Tour but with two tournaments and the three Schwab Cup playoff events remaining, is in danger of something that has yet to happen to him since turning 50: not winning at least one tournament in a season.
Like Quigley, he’s had a decent enough spring and summer. Kelly has six top 10s since a fourth in the Regions Tradition on May 14, and contended in the U.S. Senior Open and the Senior British Open.
Kelly tied for seventh in the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach, his last start.
“I’m feeling really good … I feel like there’s a lot left in the tank after those two rounds,” Kelly said. “If I keep playing the way I’m playing, this game is going to start finally coming around. I’m excited that I’m in position, and I’m waiting for that really good one. I hope it’s tomorrow.”
Left-handed Green bears watching
Flesch and Jimenez contended in the inaugural Furyk and Friends in 2021, with Flesch finishing third and Jimenez taking winner Phil Mickelson to the brink before losing by one.
Green may be one of the most intriguing contenders. He played most of his golf on the Australian Tour and the DP World Tour and in 1997 became the first left-hander since World Golf Hall of Fame member Bob Charles to win a DP World event, holding off another Hall of Fame member, Greg Norman, and Ian Woosnam in a playoff.
Green won the Order of Merit on the Australian Tour in 2004, won two more on the DP World Tour and has won three Senior European Tour events, the latest coming in June.
He nearly pushed Parel out of the final threesome. Green was 8 under with three holes to play but bogeyed No. 16 and missed birdie-putt attempts of 12 and 15 feet on the last two holes.
If Green was upset about his finish, he hid it well.
“I’ve been playing well … I’ve putted pretty well on these greens,” he said. “I’ve not been super-good on bermudagrass greens in the past, but putted pretty nicely this week. I’ve had my speed going really well. And my iron play’s been exceptionally good. Done a lot of work on that in recent weeks and I feel like I’ve got that where I want it to be to be able to execute some shots under pressure.”
Daly withdraws
John Daly, who had rounds of 76-78–154, withdrew after the second round. He did not give tournament officials a reason.