Bettencourt, La'Cassie share Cox Classic lead
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Matt Bettencourt and Bronson La'Cassie fired matching rounds of 6-under 65 on Saturday to move into a share of the lead after three rounds of the Cox Classic.
Bettencourt and La'Cassie ended 54 holes at 17-under-par 196. Bettencourt will go for his third Web.com Tour win on Sunday, but first since 2008. La'Cassie is searching for his first tour win.
John Peterson carded a 5-under 66, but dipped into third place at minus-16. Tour money leader Michael Putnam (65) and Andrew Loupe (67) share fourth place at 15-under 198.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former PGA Tour player Nick O'Hern posted a 4-under 67 and ended three rounds at 14-under 199.
Bettencourt, who tied for second last week in Tennessee, and La'Cassie were in the penultimate group together on Saturday. Bettencourt stumbled to a bogey at the second, but bounced back with a birdie on the fourth.
After a par on five, Bettencourt converted back to back-to-back birdie chances at six and seven. Consecutive birdies at the ninth and 10th moved Bettencourt to 15-under par.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The two-time winner in the 2008 season ran off four pars in a row from the 11th. Bettencourt took the lead with a birdie on No. 15. He came back two holes later with his final birdie of the day.
"I hit the ball well today, I made some putts, which set me up for a good opportunity tomorrow," Bettencourt said in a TV interview.
La'Cassie, who missed the cut in his last two starts after sharing third in Boise, started with five pars in a row. He converted his first birdie chance on the par-5 sixth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Australian drained back-to-back birdie efforts at nine and 10 to get to minus-14. La'Cassie parred four in a row from the 11th. He birdied the 15th to move within one of the lead.
La'Cassie chipped in for eagle on the 17th to jump to 17-under. Bettencourt birdied the same hole, and they both parred the last to share the third-round lead.
"Playing the PGA Tour is why you play this Tour. And getting my first win out here would be nice," said La'Cassie, who would easily move into the top 25 on Web.com Tour money list with a win on Sunday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NOTES: After Sunday's final round, the top 75 on the money list will move on to the Web.com Tour finals ... The 25 on the Web.com money list do get their PGA Tour cards after tomorrow's final round, but are subject to the re-rank, and playing the finals has a chance to improve their position.