SNOQUALMIE — On a day of leaderboard surges and setbacks, Billy Andrade made the biggest move of all, putting together a round of eight birdies and one bogey Saturday for a 7-under-par 65, giving him a two-day total of 10-under 134 and a three-stroke margin heading into today’s closing round of the Boeing Classic.
The 51-year-old Andrade will be joined in Sunday’s final threesome by Jeff Freeman and 2010 champion Bernhard Langer, both at 7-under 137.
Andrade was a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, but has won just once on the 50-and-over Champions Tour and that was with Joe Durant in a two-player team event earlier this year. But Andrade vows not to be intimidated in today’s final round, even if one of his playing partners is the 57-year-old Langer, who has 97 pro wins including 24 on the Champions Tour.
“He’s an idol, a Hall of Famer,” said Andrade, before adding with a smile, “I’m looking forward to playing with him and looking forward to beating him.”
“I feel pretty confident the way I’m striking the ball,” he went on. “I feel very calm about being in the situation. I was nervous for 25 years playing the PGA Tour. I had a nice little career and I probably should’ve won a few more than I did, but out here (on the Champions Tour) is all gravy. This is all fun.
“There’s no point in being nervous. If you’re going to do that and play lousy, there’s no point. Just go out and have fun. … I’m just going to go out and play the best I can (Sunday) and see what happens.”
On a day of hazy sunshine at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, Andrade started two shots behind opening-round leader Larry Mize, but quickly nabbed a share of the lead with birdies on the first two holes. Andrade was either in a share of the lead or within one shot until late in the round when a series of birdies on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes pushed him to the top by himself.
On the par-5 18th hole, Andrade’s second shot cleared the green, but he chipped on and capped his round with a 7-foot birdie putt that he celebrated with a clenched fist of triumph.
“All in all it was a great day,” he said. “I’ve had two very solid rounds of golf.”
Oddly enough, Andrade has one previous win in the Seattle area. In 1994 he was in the field for the Ernst Championship at Medina’s Overlake Golf and Country Club, an invitational tournament hosted by Seattle native Fred Couples. Making that victory more memorable, Andrade rolled in a long putt to defeat Couples in a playoff.
“I know I (angered) a lot of people in Seattle that day,” Andrade joked.
Langer, who is from Germany, matched Andrade with eight birdies, but had two bogeys for a round of 6-under 66, Saturday’s second-best score. Like Andrade, he called it “a great day.”
Freeman, who had a round of 4-under 68 on Saturday, was happy with his round and even more happy just to be in the tournament. He was initially an alternate, but got in Monday just minutes before he was to tee off in a qualifier when Jim Thorpe decided not to play.
“It’s tough out here when you don’t have full exemption,” said Freeman, who lives in Windermere, Fla. “You don’t know where you’re going, you don’t know if you’re going to get in, you can’t make your plans for the whole year. And when you do get in, you have to make the most of it. I haven’t done that so far, but hopefully this week it will turn around.”
One of Freeman’s playing partners on Saturday was Couples, which “is like playing with a rock star … especially here in Seattle,” Freeman said. “But he’s a great guy and he’s a lot of fun to play with.”
Mize’s round included two early bogeys, but he bounced back with two birdies before suffering a final bogey for a 1-over 73. He is one of five golfers tied for fourth at 4-under 140.
Also at 140 is Couples, who had a round of two birdies and one bogey. “I don’t think I’m out of it at all,” he said. “You just go play, play hard and try to make some putts (Sunday).
“Things are good,” Couples said. “I just didn’t make any (putts on Saturday). I had a couple of par putts in the front side that I made to not go 1 or 2 over, but when I had a birdie putt I couldn’t make one.”
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