Reno-Tahoe Open: Las Vegas' Bill Lunde plays himself into contention

RENO - This hasn't been a season to write home about for Las Vegas' Bill Lunde.

He's made 12 of 19 cuts, but his $302,759 leaves him ranked 161st in money and 141st on the FedEx Cup list. He needs to move up to the top 125 to make the playoffs.

Lunde, who helped UNLV to the 1998 NCAA title, has put himself in a position to make a lot of money and even win the 14th annual Reno-Tahoe Open championship.

Lunde scored 14 points thanks to eight birdies and two bogeys to move from a tie for 23rd to a tie for fifth with 28 points. He trails leader J.J. Henry by eight points entering today's final round.

Lunde was briefly tied for second before dropping down a few spots later in the day.

"You know, I kept hitting it in the right spots today and made a few putts," Lunde said. "I kept giving myself good chances. I birdied the holes you're supposed to birdie out here.

"I made eight birdies and that's the name of the game out here."

Lunde did start with a bogey and par on the first two holes.

"It was a little disappointing start, but then I got it going good," Lunde said. "I made a couple of birdies right after that and kind of kept it going throughout the round. I was pleased with how I played."

His second and final bogey came on the par-3 16th.

"I hit it in the greenside bunker," Lunde said. "Where the pin is on the left, it drops right off right behind the pin from the angle I was coming, so I had to be careful not to get over aggressive. Anything by the hole would go down the hill and off the green. I left myself a 10-footer for par, and I thought it would go left. It didn't, so I made bogey."

The UNLV grad trails by eight points, so he knows he needs another birdie barrage to have an opportunity at the title.

"Obviously I just want to play well (today)," Lunde said. "Who knows what will happen. I have to keep making birdies, but I'm happy in the position I'm in."