Robert “Who?” Streb holding his own at Wells Fargo Championship

There’s the world’s top-ranked golfer at the top of the Wells Fargo Championship leader board, and just beneath Rory McIlroy is a guy who owns a home on the course.

And then under Webb Simpson is Robert Streb.

Paired with Simpson on Saturday, Streb shot 1-under 71 to move to 11 under for the tournament and sits alone in third place at Quail Hollow Club.

At every hole, Streb heard cheers for Simpson. “Go Webb,” most would say.

Did he ever think there was a “Go Streb” in there?

“Oh no. I know better than that,” Streb said. “Pretty much like playing an away game at any other sport, I would imagine.”

The first-round leader, Streb started slowly Saturday with two bogeys in his first six holes. He recovered to finish even on the front nine, but the shots to be had on the back nine were left there.

He didn’t birdie the two par-5s on the back nine and bogeyed No. 12 after missing a 3-foot par putt.

On the par-5 15th, Streb’s chip out of the rough landed woefully short. A bad birdie putt left him with a disappointing par. He made up for it with a birdie on No. 16 when he holed out a 13-foot putt.

His par putt at 17 rolled under the cup and a par at the tough finishing hole gave Streb his least successful round at Quail Hollow this week.

“I didn’t get up and down on 12 and 15 from not that bad a spot,” Streb lamented. “Obviously missed the short run on 17. Those three shots, maybe I’m a little bit closer.”

Instead Streb is seven strokes behind McIlroy, who topped his own course record by shooting 61 on Saturday.

“That’s the way tournaments go sometimes,” Streb said. “It really got spaced out really good today, but that’s all right. It wasn’t terrible.”

It was much better than what he’s experienced the past two months. In his past six tournaments, Streb, 28, missed the cut four times and didn’t place in the top 25 in the other two.

But that’s not indicative of the strides he’s made since joining the PGA Tour. He finished 126th in his first year in 2013 and improved to 71st last season.

Streb earned his first Tour victory in October when he beat Brendon de Jonge and Will MacKenzie in a playoff to win the McGladrey Classic. That win secured exemption status for the next two years and spots in the Masters and PGA Championship.

“Golf has been a little frustrating the last couple of months, but (the win) kind of takes the edge off,” Streb said. “You have a little bit of breathing room. If you want to work on some things you can. It’s been nice, especially with her.”

The “her” is his 3-month-old daughter Catherine, whom he held during the interview. He’s getting adjusted to life as a father, but she’s been sleeping better, and the relief on Streb’s face was evident.

You can call him Catherine’s dad, or Robert, or Bob, or Bobby. He answers to all of them. And he knows there will be plenty in Sunday’s crowd who will look at the leader board and see his name below McIlroy and Simpson and above Phil Mickelson and wonder: “Who?”

“Two of the guys are waxing me right now, but it’s nice to get in there and play against those guys,” Streb said. “I guess that’s kind of what a major leader board would look like with those big names at the top. Just trying to compete with those guys and see how I do.”

This story was originally published May 16, 2015 at 9:59 PM with the headline "Robert “Who?” Streb holding his own at Wells Fargo Championship."