Associated Press
Saturday, July 1

CROMWELL, Conn. -- Call it the power of positive suggestion. Or friendly competition.

Kirk Triplett's course-record, 9-under-par 61 Saturday in the third round of the Greater Hartford Open, might have had its genesis in a friendly gibe by Scott Gump.

Triplett and Gump rode together to Wednesday's pro-am, and on the way Gump couldn't refrain from crowing about his 62 in the second round of the 1998 tournament -- which, until Saturday, had him tied with four others for the record low round at the TPC at River Highlands.

"I said, 'Anybody can shoot 62. I'm sure you can beat that,"' Gump said.

He did.

Triplett, who started the day seven shots off the lead, birdied Nos. 2, 3, 4, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 en route to a three-day total of 197, tied for third with Ed Fryatt.

Triplett said his focus remained on the tournament, not the course record, but acknowledged he hadn't forgotten Gump's goad.

"He proudly pointed his 62 out to me -- 'There you go, pard, something to shoot for' -- so I got him," Triplett.

No money will change hands, Gump said.

"Unfortunately -- or, fortunately -- no," he said.

On both record-setting days the greens on the 6,820-yard course were holding well. "I expected the golf course to be a little firmer today ... it kind of surprised me starting off today that the greens were a little bit soft," Triplett said. "The fairways are firm, the golf course is not playing real long, but the greens are holding the shots and guys are shooting low."

Triplett said he had no secrets to offer.

"Anybody who plays knows -- how do you play good one hole and not the next? How do you hit perfect one time and the next you're terrible?" he said.

"I had a lot of close shots; I didn't make a lot of real long putts, but I did make a couple, and I made all of my par saves. It never killed the momentum in the round."

Triplett said he is a fan of the River Highlands course.

"I've had success on it in the past, and I think that just kind of builds," he said. "There are other courses -- the tournament next week -- I love the course but I can't make a nickel there. No matter how good I play I can't shoot more than 1- or 2-under par."