Small putter has made Garrigus some decent money

Robert Garrigus has won more than $3 million on the PGA Tour since 2006, but the normal golf fan doesn't know him by his career earnings.

Garrigus is know more as the guy that uses a putter a 10-year-old should use. Each time the 5-foot-11 Garrigus hunches over, you wonder if he'll ever get back up and be able to stand up straight for his next shot.

The 32-year-old Garrigus has been using the short 28-inch putter for about 13 years now with pretty good success.

"When I was 19, I had a 34-inch putter and I was pulling every 3-footer I looked at. I couldn't get the right speed on anything. I was too jammed up. I was all the way up in there.

"I went to Slazenger Putting Fitting System. They don't even exist anymore. He gave me this tiny thing. 'He's like , here get your hands down, shoulders down and eyes over the ball.' I did that. He made me a putter in three minutes. I made it to the Nationwide Tour six months after that. I started rolling everything in, and everything was perfect."

STRANGE EXPERIMENT

On Saturday, the players were sent out in twosomes from the No. 1 tee which is unusual for this tournament.

That will change today.

The PGA Tour has elected to go from both Nos. 1 and 10 tees for today's rounds with tee times from 8:40 a.m. to 10:41, and the players will go out in threesomes.

The reason for threesomes is television. The tournament is being broadcast live, and tournament officials want to make sure they are done by 4 p.m. local time when the broadcast ends.

GREEN TALK

All the players have raved about the condition of Montreux, a tribute to course superintendent Doug Heinrichs.

One thing that was noticeable this week is that there was poa annua on the greens.

The region hasn't had a lot of hot weather yet, which usually kills out the poa annua.

When there is poa annua, it tends to make the greens bumpier, according to Matt Bettencourt.

"They are in good shape and they're rolling at nice speeds," Bettencourt said. "You just have to stay patient. The ball is gonna bounce. If you stay patient and within yourself, plenty of putts will fall."

"I'm OK with it," said Las Vegas' Bill Lunde after his first round on Thursday. "I grew up in Southern California. Everything is poa annua down there. Some guys aren't real big fans of po', but I kind of like it because they hate it."

PAST CHAMPIONS REPORT

Seven former champs were in the field when the tournament started, but only five were left for the weekend after Notah Begay III missed the cut after shooting a 5-over-par 149 and Parker McLachlin withdrew after a first-round 81.

Will MacKenzie (2006) is the only one of the five in red numbers at 5-under-par 211. Steve Flesch (2007) is 4-over-par 214 along with Kirk Triplett (2003). Vaughn Taylor (2004-2005) and John Rollins (2009) are at 6-over-par 216.

EASIEST, TOUGHEST HOLES

The 220-yard par-3 7th was the toughest hole in the third round. The hole yielded just five birdies out of 71 players.

The easiest hole was No. 4, a 518-yard par-5. The hole yielded five eagles and a tourney best 30 birdies.

There were a total of eight eagles, all on the front side. Five came on No. 4, two came on No. 9 and one came on No. 6 by 2006 champ Will MacKenzie.

ODDS and ENDS

The field is still over par for the tournament at 72.972 ... There were three bogey free rounds on Saturday - Graham DeLaet with a 62, Rod Pampling with a 67 and Craig Barlow with a 67. There have been 11 bogey free rounds thus far ... After recording one top-10 in 2009, Stuart Appleby is trying to pick up his third top-10 of the season. He is tied for 10th at 210.