Brehaut looked confident with his putter, having made four consecutive par-saving putts from outside three feet. In the windy conditions - not to mention the tricky pin placements tucked on edges of greens - Brehaut's game looked well-suited to make a move up the leaderboard, with Crestview's easier back nine looming.
But from the point forward, Brehaut's putting game deserted him. The 49-year old missed four putts inside four feet over the rest of his round - three for birdie and one for par - to post a 71 that could have easily been a 67.
"I choked like a dog out there," Brehaut said.
On the reverse end of the spectrum, Allred kept rolling in 6-footer after 6-footer, getting momentum back after the double and sustaining it for the rest of the day. Brehaut may have struck the ball more consistently, but Allred had the touch on the greens.
As a result, Allred is in the clubhouse with a three-round total of 8-under, optimistic that the afternoon winds will allow him to have an outside shot at the title tomorrow.
After grinding out a string of pars in the consistent winds that approached 30 mph at times, Allred made his move up the leaderboard with birdies at four of his last five holes, with a bogey on 17 sprinkled in.
Allred's shot of the day, without question, was a wedge to 10 feet on hole 15 - from under a tree, and over a lake. The Scottsdale, AZ resident took his time making sure he could execute the shot, and pulled it off cleanly. The ball landed on the top of a slope about 30 feet past the hole, and started to roll toward the pin once it landed.
"On one hand, I got pretty lucky to even have a chance," Allred said. "But it was a pretty dicey shot, and one of our goals is to just play the percentages. That said, one of my other goals today was to just play like a kid, and I didn't feel like it was too crazy to try."
Allred's youthful attitude was on full display after pulling off the shot on 15, pumping his fist and high-fiving his caddy. Throughout the round, Allred made sure to enjoy his good shots, and he refrained from getting too negative after the bad ones - his drive into the water on hole 7 included.
Feeling that he tends to put too much pressure on himself on the golf course, Allred embraces his refined persona - brought about by seeing his kids' laid-back mentality.
"My tendency is to try too hard to do too well," Allred said. "I have two little kids now, and just watching the way they play, they're so free. I play my best golf when I'm that way."
Having one of his best friends as caddy this year helps too.
"He catches me getting a little too uptight or serious," Allred said. "He's like 'hey, man, just let it rip and do your best.' And ultimately, that's all I can do."
And although Allred had missed three cuts in a row before Wichita, his overall results this year have been positive. The Oregon native already has three top-25 finishes in 11 previous Nationwide Tour starts this season, playing his first full season on Tour since 2007.
Allred is currently 75th on the money list, and a good finish Sunday could put him in position to make a mid-season run toward the top 25. He has played one full PGA Tour season - in 2005 - and would surely love to get back.
And if the wind continues for the rest of the day, Allred's 8-under number could look pretty good heading into Sunday.
"I think a lot of guys are going to have 4- to 6-foot par putts all day," Allred said. "Even if you hit it on the green, there's some tricky pins, and you're going to have some comeback putts. Thankfully I putted really well and kept myself in it."
Regardless of what happens Sunday, Allred is making sure to enjoy the opportunity to play consistently on the Nationwide circuit again, for the first time in five years.
"I feel like I'm close," Allred said. "I've felt that way every week. It's fun to be out here just having a chance, and hopefully I'll have at least an outside shot tomorrow."
Mid-day notes:
- The 7th hole has a particularly difficult pin placement Saturday, tucked on the right side of the green, guarded on the right by water and a bunker.
- A marshal on the 3rd hole said that the tee will probably be moved up tomorrow, making the 343-yard hole play only 323. The marshal said the hole location is slated to be on the front of the green, giving long hitters the chance to hit a well-struck tee shot close.
-I saw Jose Toledo's college friend today, and I finally asked what his name was (it's Logan). Logan said he had lunch with Jose yesterday, and that Jose seemed optimistic about his game despite missing the cut. He said Jose is traveling the Nationwide Tour this year with Diego Velasquez (his playing partner on Thursday and Friday) and Oscar Serna (his cousin). Logan and Jose were going to play golf Saturday, but Jose decided to instead hit the road for next week's tournament in Indiana, where he is 7th alternate. Jose will be in the field in Utah in three weeks, Logan said.
-Logan told me that the short par-5 18th has played as a par-4 for the Wichita Open in the past. I have mixed feelings about the hole playing as a par-5. On one hand, it is exciting when players have a chance to make up ground with an eagle on 18, but it also lessens the positive feeling of finishing with a birdie - knowing that you aren't making up much ground. But I guess you can get that feeling with an eagle as well, which is certainly plausible.
-After he slid in a birdie putt on 18 for a round of 71, Brehaut agreed that the hole locations were particularly difficult Saturday, especially considering the high winds. Brehaut birdied two of his first three holes, but failed to make another birdie until the 18th - with three bogeys in between.
Perspective on Brehaut's chances of making the top 25 will be added after the completion of play.
-The marshal on 4 told me that Jason Allred is known as one of the most deliberate players on Tour - earning the nickname "All day Allred."
-The barking dog was nowhere to be found - or heard - on Saturday. Maybe its owners heard complaints and decided to keep it inside for the day.
-Back out the course to follow some of the leaders' action. Justin Hicks has just posted an impressive 65, and he shares the lead at 12-under with overnight leader Jim Herman (thru 9) and Jason Gore (thru 11).
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