Brehaut's chances for Sunday

So it all comes down to this for Jeff Brehaut.

Hanging in the mid-30's at the end of each round, Brehaut has been within shouting distance of the top 25 all week. A shot here, a shot there, and he would be in.

Saturday was no different, as the 49-year old missed four putts inside four feet. If he had made two of those, he would be inside the top 25, where he would merely need to 'hang on' to advance to next week's United Leasing Championship in Indiana.

But you can't lament the what-ifs in golf, and you have yo play the hand you're dealt. Brehaut's Saturday 71 left him in a tie for 39th heading into the final round, two strokes back of the top 25. The even-par round moved him down one spot, as he started the day T38

All week, Brehaut has hit his irons well. The key has been getting it in the fairway, and he has struggled with untimely tee shots that have left him in difficult situations. The Crestview layout allows for plenty of scoring opportunities, but the tree-lined fairways and abundance of dogleg holes require well-struck, well-shaped shots. And in this regard, Brehaut has struggled at times this week.

If the San Francisco-area resident can have a good driving day Sunday, I say he can move into the top 25. There is no reason to think his iron play - which has been consistently stellar over his career - will desert him, and his putting throughout the week has been respectable enough where it shouldn't hurt him too much on Sunday.

Even though the untimely short misses Saturday definitely stung. After all, he said it: he choked like a dog.

Sunday's forecast calls for a high of 102, with winds approaching 25 mph. The high heat should favor Brehaut, as he tees off early at 9:20 CT, and should be done for the day before the sauna-like conditions really start to kick in.

With moderate winds, the course should play at a level of difficulty somewhere between Friday's and Saturday's levels. In that case, I say it takes a round of 2-under to maintain position. Since Brehaut needs to make up two strokes, I will predict that he needs to shoot 4-under 67 to make the top 25 and qualify for next week.

Has he shot a 67 yet this week? No, his best was a 68 on Thursday.

But can he do it? Of course. And I say he will.

Good luck, Jeff.