Pate Comes From 9 Shots Back to Lead by Stroke in Florida

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — Steve Pate shot an eight-under-par 64 to come from nine shots back and take the third-round lead Saturday in the $800,000 Honda tournament.

Pate one-putted 11 times on the TPC course at Eagle Trace en route to his score.

That combined with a collapse by second-round leader Dan Pohl gave Pate with a one-stroke lead going into today’s final round.

Pate, a two-time winner last season, completed 54 holes in 201, 15-under par. He was among the 72 golfers whose second rounds were halted by darkness Friday night.

“I was 4-under with seven to play,” Pate said. “I knew the cut would be 4-under, so I was just trying to get in the last two rounds.”

Pate birdied three of those seven second-round holes, then moved in front with his bogey-free third round.

Pohl, who led by three strokes after shooting a 62 in the second round, shot a 75 and was two strokes back at 203.

Blaine McCallister, Larry Rinker and Ted Schulz were tied for second at 202.

McCallister finished off a 65 with a chip-in birdie on the 18th hole. Rinker made birdie putts from off the green on the 11th and 14th and holed a 115-yard sand-wedge shot for an eagle-2 on the 16th in a 67. Schulz shot 71.

Pohl was tied with Payne Stewart and Jim Carter. Carter shot a 69 and Stewart 70.