Moore aims to buck trend at Shriners Open

History is not on Ryan Moore's side. But the former UNLV star is thinking about the present, not the past.

Moore is trying to become the first golfer to win the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open after having the first-round lead. Since the tournament format changed from five to four rounds in 2004, no first-round leader has made it to the finish line at TPC Summerlin in front.

"There's a long way to go," said Moore, who has a share of the lead at 19-under-par 194 with Jonas Blixt and Brendon de Jonge after finishing with a 6-under 65 on Saturday. "I'm playing with two great players on a course that's very scoreable.

"I'm just going to keep my head down and keep playing golf exactly how I've been playing all week and see what happens in the end."

The trio played the third round together, and it was quite a scene. Moore started the day a shot behind his playing partners and bided his time. He eventually caught de Jonge at the par-4 11th and passed him with a birdie at the par-5 13th.

"It was just a good, solid day," said Moore, whose bogey-free round was highlighted by birdies at Nos. 15 and 16. "I was just doing what I've been doing all week, which is put it in play."

Blixt wasn't quite as patient starting out. He was shooting at pins that were tucked in the corners of many of the greens and, consequently, was not rewarded. Blixt made the turn at par 35 after bogeys at the par-4 No. 6 and the par-3 No. 8.

"I got away from the game plan, and I was trying to be too cute and I hit some bad shots," he said. "They ran away from me for a while. But then I got back to the game plan and just tried to hit the green. That helped me get back in it."

Blixt was three shots back of Moore and de Jonge through 11. But he had enough time to settle down and play his way back into the mix.

He finished in Blixt-krieg fashion, birdieing six of his final seven holes to gain a share of the lead with his round of 66.

De Jonge, who had the lead at the turn Saturday, said the competition from within the group fueled his 5-under performance.

"We were feeding off each other," he said. "One of the guys would make a great shot, then someone else followed up with a great shot of their own. It was a lot of fun out there."

Moore's home-course advantage helped him remain patient. He knew with many of the pins tucked away in tough spots, it would be foolhardy to go right at them.

"It's tempting, but you have to know to back off," he said. "The key for me was not being overly aggressive. You have to channel that aggressiveness, and it kept me out of trouble."

De Jonge picked up on that quickly.

"You have to pick and choose your spots as to when to be aggressive," he said. "It's about being smart."

The trio will tee off at 11 a.m. today, and there will be a lot more at stake, with the winner receiving $810,000.

For Moore, who is expecting his first child in a few weeks, that will buy a lot of diapers. For Blixt, a rookie on the PGA Tour, it will culminate an inconsistent season that saw him begin slowly, get hot for a month, then take more than two months off after injuring his ribcage.

For de Jonge, who has gone 146 events without a win, it could be just the thing he needs to finally break through and give him the confidence to battle the big boys.

"I'm looking forward to (today)," Moore said. "They're both great guys to play with, and it should be a lot of fun."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.