Coles ahead in Louisiana
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2008 Chitimacha Louisiana Open | Round Three | 30 Mar 2008
Australian golfer Gavin Coles leads into the final round of the Chitimaca Louisiana Open as attempts to become the third Australian to win in five events on the 2008 Nationwide Tour schedule.
Coles is a three time winner on the Nationwide Tour having won the 2002 Jacobs Creek Open, the 2004 New Zealand PGA Championship and the 2006 Legend Financial Group Classic.
Coles, who has conditional USPGA Tour status after finishing 147th on the 2007 money list, produced a third round 66 at the La Triomphe Golf Club layout to edge past overnight leader, Chris Riley and take a one shot lead over Riley into tomorrow’s final round.
This week’s performance continues the solid form Coles displayed last week in Puerto Rico where he finished 15th in the USPGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open.
One of the shortest hitters on either the PGA or Nationwide Tour, Coles has taken full advantage of the shorter than average (7004 yards) Robert Trent Jones Jr layout in Broussard with a typically accurate display from tee to green and another good week on the greens.
With wins by Jarrod Lyle (Mexico Open) and Ewan Porter (Moonah Links Classic) already by Australian golfers in 2008, Coles has an opportunity to further extend the domination by Australians this season.
In his only other start on the Nationwide Tour this season, Coles missed the cut at the Panama Open.
Only two other Australians made the cut in this week’s event with Greg Chalmers six shots behind Coles in 15th place while Paul Gow is back at even par and 11 shots behind the leader.
