Associated Press
Sunday, July 23

ENDICOTT, N.Y. -- Nobody has ever repeated as B.C. Open champion in the tournament's 28-year history. Brad Faxon wants to be the first.

Faxon, who beat Fred Funk in a two-hole playoff last year, overcame some erratic tee shots Saturday and used his trusty putter to fashion a 4-under-par 68 and tie Esteban Toledo for the third-round lead at 202.

	Brad Faxon is trying to become the first repeat champion at the B.C. Open.

"It's nice. I'm excited I'm in this position again," said Faxon, whose curving 15-foot putt for birdie on No. 18 drew him even with Toledo at 14 under. "I would love to win this tournament twice. I feel confident because I know the course well.

"I'm holding my head high because I went over to the British Open (and didn't qualify) and came back here," Faxon said. "I don't think a lot of guys would have done it, but it was important for me to try. I know a lot of guys might have had a letdown."

Jerry Kelly was alone in second, two shots off the lead after a 67, and Canada's Glen Hnatiuk was another stroke back at 205. Joe Ogilvie and Grant Waite were tied for fifth at 206, and Dave Stockton Jr. led a group of six players at 207.

Toledo, who began the day with a three-shot lead, had something of a letdown after rounds of 64 and 67. The boxer-turned-golfer from Mexico, who has never won in five full years on the PGA Tour, parred the first eight holes and fell into a three-way tie for the lead with Faxon and Kelly after a bogey on No. 9.

The spunk Toledo had displayed the first two days seemed to be missing as he barely broke par on day when 47 of the field of 72 did.

"I was hanging in there all day," Toledo said. "I wasn't hitting that well, so I was just trying to be patient. On the front nine, I was just a little tight. My caddie started telling me on 10 to just play aggressive and we'll see what we can get on the back nine."

The strategy seemed to work, although sporadically. Toledo birdied No. 10 to go back to 13 under after a nice sand shot from a greenside bunker left him 2 feet from the pin and was at 14 under after two more birdies sandwiched around a three-putt bogey.

Then came what was a crucial final hole, the 419-yard, par-4 18th. Trailing by a stroke, Faxon hit his drive into the trees lining the right side of the fairway. But he got a huge break when the ball bounced back out into the middle of the fairway and took advantage of it with his fifth birdie of the round.

Meanwhile, Toledo's tee shot had nearly landed in a creek on the left side of the fairway, coming to rest along a brick wall and leaving him with a difficult shot. He briefly considered shooting his second shot left-handed, something he's been practicing for two years, then reconsidered.

"I knew that I could hit it on the green if I could make a good swing, but there were rocks behind the ball so I couldn't do it," Toledo said. "I had to stay on the left side (of the ball)."

With half his left shoe on the grass and half of his right shoe hanging over the wall, he managed to get the ball down the fairway and made a brilliant save for par.

"Tomorrow, I promise not to hit it there," he said. "It's going to be a battle between the first six or seven guys. Obviously, Faxon has won the tournament before. He's been in the lead so many times and I have not. But it doesn't mean I can't win."

Kelly, who had eight birdies on the front nine Friday and finished with a second-round 63 to move high up the leaderboard, looked like he would be the man to beat on this sunny, somewhat breezy day. He reeled off five more birdies on his first seven holes Saturday, but then cooled off and finished with 12 straight pars.

"I was thinking it was going to be a carbon copy of yesterday," Kelly said. "I was ready to keep it going. I really hit the ball well even after the first seven, came close on every single putt. If the ones that burned the edge today would have gone in like yesterday, I could have been lower than yesterday."

Instead, he'll have to try to come from behind as he seeks his first-ever victory on the PGA Tour.

"I just want to win," Kelly said. "I want to join the club, so to speak. They say that makes you feel like you belong and I feel like I belong, but I haven't won yet. It's going to happen sooner or later. I want patience to rule me tomorrow, do what I did the last couple of days."