Woody Woodward opens three shot Azalea Invitational Lead

CHARLESTON, SC (April 1, 2017) -- Woody Woodward continued to roll on Saturday and with 18-holes remaining he has opened up a three shot lead at the Azalea Invitational. Woodward, 10-under, followed up his second round 6-under 65 at the Country Club of Charleston with a 3-under 68 in the third round. The Wake Forest senior started slowly with a 2nd hole bogey but that would be his only blemish on the day as he birdied four-times the rest of the way. For Woodward the birdies came on the 6th, 9th, 12th and 16th holes. Heading into the final round second place belongs to Cole Hammer. A Texas commit, Hammer moved up the leaderboard with a 2-under 69 that included four birdies and two bogeys. Hammer capped his round with an 18th hole tweeter. 2015 winner Todd White and Jake Kevorkian are tied for third at 5-under. In fifth place at 4-under it is Steven Brame, Trevor Smith, Chris Petefish and second round co-leader Scott Harvey. Joseph Pagdin, the leader after each of the first two rounds, stumbled on the second nine Saturday and he is 3-under and in ninth place. Pagdin turned in 2-under 34 but double-bogeyed twice and bogeyed twice on the homeward nine as he signed for a 4-over 75.