Panzeri grabs 2-shot lead at Wildfire Invitational

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Peterborough, ON (SportsNetwork.com) – Joe Panzeri carded a 4-under 68 on Saturday and grabbed a 2-shot lead after 54 holes of The Wildfire Invitational.

Panzeri ended three rounds at 16-under-par 200 at Wildfire Golf Club. He will go for his third PGA Tour Canada win on Sunday.

Max Gilbert fired the low round of the day, a 7-under 65, to soar into a share of second place at minus-14. He was joined there by Jeff Corr (68), Brock Mackenzie (71), second-round leader Adam Cornelson (72), Justin Shin (68), Chris Hemmerich (68) and Jay Vandeventer (69).

Brady Schnell (68) and Michael Gligic (66) are tied for ninth at 13-under 203, while Randall Hutchison (72) and Nate McCoy (67) are one stroke back at minus-12.

Panzeri opened with a birdie at the first. After a pair of pars, he converted back-to-back birdie chances at four and five. Panzeri stumbled to a bogey on the sixth.

The 28-year-old got that shot right back as he birdied the seventh. However, Panzeri tripped to another bogey on No. 8 to slip back to minus-14.

Panzeri took the lead for good with a birdie on the 11th. He parred five in a row before making birdie on the par-3 17th. Panzeri parred the last to lead by two after three rounds.

Gilbert faltered to a bogey on the second, but came right back with a birdie on the third. He made eagle at the fourth and followed with another birdie on the par-5 fifth.

Around the turn, Gilbert tripped to a bogey on No. 10. He shot into contention with an eagle on the par-5 12th. He moved to 12-under with a birdie on the 13th. Gilbert holed another eagle at the short par-4 14th to jump into second place. He ended there as he parred the last four holes.

Corr and Shin had five birdies and a bogey in their rounds of 68. Mackenzie mixed five birdies, two bogeys and one double-bogey in his 71, while Hemmerich had six birdies and two bogeys for his 68. Cornelson had two birdies and a double-bogey, while Vandeventer posted four birdies, an eagle, a double-bogey and a bogey in his 69.

NOTES: Panzeri’s two wins were at the 2011 Dakota Dunes Casino Open and the 2013 ATB Financial Classic … With inclement weather expected on Sunday, tee times were moved up and players will go off split tees in threesomes.

Categorized in: PGA

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