Green sharing second at Viking Classic
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 Viking Classic | Round Three | 03 Oct 2010
Despite bogeys at two of his last three holes in round three of the Viking Classic in Madison, Mississippi, Australian golfer Nathan Green is well placed for a big finish in the first of the Fall Series tournaments on the PGA Tour.
Green, who has this week and three more events to finish off his 2010 PGA Tour season before returning to Australia, had today moved into a share of the lead with Bill Haas when he birdied the 14th hole before the two late bogeys.
Haas would recover from a double bogey at his 12th hole to regain the lead outright when he birdied three of his last five holes and at 15 under he leads by four over Green, Brendon de Jonge and 51 year old Michael Allen.
Green has struggled for much of this season mainly due to a battle with his short game which has normally been his saviour. His only top ten to date in 2010 came at the second event of the season when 8th in Honolulu.
Green has exemption through until the end of 2011 as a result of his win at the Canadian Open in July of 2009.
Green has been working with a new coach, Mark Backburn, in recent weeks and earlier in the week he expressed satisfaction at the manner he was hitting the ball. “I have been working with him for the last month or so,” said Nathan this week. “The good ones are good but the bad ones are still a little off the planet so it will be a matter of putting it to the test under the gun.”
“I would love to have a good finish to the year but the work we are doing now is with next year in mind.”
Blackburn, originally from England but now based in Huntsville in Alabama, also coaches Heath Slocum and Robert Karlsson amongst others and as Green often plays practice rounds with Slocum the two have now paired up.
John Senden is the next best of the Australians at 8 under and in a share of 10th position.
