RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Ricky Castillo was hoping to be in Florida this week for his first $20 million signature event. Instead he’s at the Puerto Rico Open and making it pay off, posting a bogey-free round of 4-under 68 in strong wind Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round.
On a day of big movements — John Daly II tied for the lead at one point and 18-year-old Blades Brown challenging again — Castillo chipped in for birdie on the 12th hole and kept a steady hand on the closing holes at Grand Reserve Golf Club.
Castillo was at 12-under 204 and will be in the final group with John Parry of England, who earned his PGA Tour card off the European tour standings last year.
“This is the position that all of us have dreamed of and want to be in a chance to win a golf tournament,” Castillo said. “I’ve been fortunate to have that opportunity a few times and haven’t gotten it done, so hopefully we’ll do it tomorrow.”
Brown holed a 50-foot eagle putt on the par-5 14th, the highlight of his 3-under 69 that gives the teenager a second chance this year to become the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years. He was in the final group with Scottie Scheffler at The American Express until fading Sunday.
“All this is just experience,” said Brown, who graduated high school in January.
He didn’t do a lot wrong that week. A pair of late bogeys long after Scheffler had pulled away led to a 74 and dropped him into a tie for 18th. But the kid didn’t look overwhelmed playing next to the No. 1 player in the world and looks forward to Sunday.
“Just having that moment and that experience with Scottie and Si Woo (Kim) and being in the final group is going to help me tomorrow being in the hunt again,” Brown said. “I’m really looking forward to it. I love to compete and it’s going to be a fun day tomorrow.”
Matti Schmid shot 68 and was in the group one shot behind along with Chandler Blanchet, who took a four-shot lead into the third round and lost too many shots on the green, particularly a couple of short putts. Blanchet shot 74.
Daly, the 22-year-old son of two-time major champion John Daly, also looks poised in his PGA Tour debut. He had a share of the lead when he hit 5-iron onto the green at the par-5 12 for eagle that put him at 10 under. And on the next par 5, he took driver off the deck to the front of the green, only to three-putt for par from about 75 feet.
But he missed the green left on the 18th, chipped too strongly and ended a streak of 46 consecutive holes without a bogey when he lipped out the 15-foot par putt.
“It was solid,” he said of his round. “For sure it was the windiest day of the week so far. It was really hard to get the numbers right. But stayed in it well, hit some good shots. Sucks to make my first bogey in a while on 18. Hit a good second shot, just the wind let it rise in the air. Oh, well, it was a good day.”
Castillo was 11 points away from getting into the Arnold Palmer Invitational with its $20 million purse. The winner of the Puerto Rico Open – the $4 million purse is equal to what the winner gets at Bay Hill – gets a spot in The Players Championship and the PGA Championship.
