Leaderboard takes shape heading into final day of LECOM Suncoast Classic

Patrick Cover tied for the best round of the day Saturday at the 2024 LECOM Suncoast Classic, shooting an eight-under-par 63, and has positioned himself as the tournament leader at 18 under par heading into the final day of play at Lakewood National Golf Club. 

Cover's round was marked by eight birdies and an eagle on the No. 9 hole, plus two bogeys. Cover's big day came one day after the golf shot just two under par. The difference? Putting himself in the fairway with consistency, he said, which led to putts he could read. 

Cover previously played the Suncoast Classic in 2022, when he missed the cut, and in 2023, when he finished tied for 16th at 15 under par. 

"I know the course well," Cover said. "I like how it lets you play your game. There are not many forced shots. There are no holes that tell you you have to hit a draw or you have to hit a fade. You can kind of hit your shot at a target and it gives you room on both sides. It's not the most demanding golf course off the tee, but it will penalize you for a big miss." 

For Cover, a win at the Suncoast Classic would be his first Korn Ferry Tour win. To get it, Cover will have to hold off several golfers close behind him. Steven Fisk is in second place at 17 under par after a seven-under-par performance Saturday. Kris Ventura and Tim Widing are tied for third place at 15 under par. Cody Blick and Jackson Suber are tied for fifth at 14 under par. 

Behind Blick and Suber, 10 golfers are tied for seventh place at 13 under par. Lakewood Ranch High alumnus Danny Walker is among them after shooting an eight-under-par 63 on Saturday, tied with Cover for the best performance of the round. Walker made nine birdies and one bogey. The performance came one day after making the tournament cut on the number (five under par). 

"It was a little bit of everything (Saturday)," Walker said. "(I) was hitting fairways, hitting good iron shots. Rolled in a few more putts today. First two days I didn't really make any 15-footers, but today I rolled in a few. Stayed out of trouble. It was just a good, solid, clean round throughout the bag."

Walker joked that his tee times were too early to draw a big crowd the first few days of the tournament, but hoped to see some familiar faces Sunday. He has a tee time of 12:17 p.m. alongside Chris Petefish (13 under par) and Alistair Docherty (13 under par).

Miles Russell, the 15-year-old junior golfer who Friday became the youngest player to make the cut at a Korn Ferry Tour event, is tied for 48th at nine under par.