Thongchai Jaidee shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday and is tied for the lead with Miguel Angel Jimenez after two rounds of the American Family Insurance Championship at Madison, Wis.
Jimenez shot 68 to join Jaidee at 10-under 134 at University Ridge. The pair stand one shot ahead of the trio of Paul Broadhurst, Paul Goydos and Steve Flesch.
Jaidee, from Thailand, is part of the second-round lead for the first time on the PGA Champions Tour. The bogey-free 65 matched his best on the tour.
“My confidence in my putting was very good today,” Jaidee said during a press conference. “I hit a lot of greens and a lot of fairways but I feeling putting is the key for being 7-under. I’m very happy with my round.”
Jaidee, 52, carded seven birdies, including three straight on Nos. 14-16.
Jimenez, 58, had six birdies and two bogeys while grabbing a share of the lead.
It marks the 16th time the Spaniard has led or shared the lead entering the final round. He won the tournament on six of those occasions.
“Tomorrow, we’re going to be in the last group and I’ll just play golf and enjoy myself on the golf course and anything happens,” Jimenez said. “There are a lot of players, very good quality players.”
Broadhust had an eagle on the par-5, No. 16 to highlight a solid 6-under 66. The Englishman also had six birdies and two bogeys.
Goydos scored five birdies while shooting a bogey-free 67. He made three birdies in a row on Nos. 15-17.
Flesch was the first-round leader with a 65 but he didn’t have the same magic while posting a 70 in the second round. He had four birdies — the final one on No. 10 — and two bogeys.
David Branshaw (66), Kirk Triplett (68) and Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie (70) are tied for sixth, two shots back.
The group of eight golfers who are three shots off the pace include John Daly (66) and Jerry Kelly (69).
Kelly won last week’s Principal Charity Classic in a playoff.
Kelly had five birdies and two bogeys on Saturday and wasn’t thrilled with his round.
“Another fairly sloppy day.” Kelly said. “Just made some bogeys in there that I shouldn’t have, didn’t make some birdies that I should have. Still wasn’t as tight, as crisp as I’d like to be.”
–Field Level Media