SILVIS, Ailing. — Davis Thompson made birdie on half of his holes Saturday on a tender and defenseless TPC Deere Run, matching his profession low with a 9-under 62 for a two-shot lead going into the ultimate spherical of the John Deere Traditional.
Thompson made birdie even after his one dangerous swing, escaping from the timber on the par-5 seventeenth after which hitting wedge from a nasty angle over a knob of tough to eight ft.
He was at 21-under 192, his first time with the 54-hole lead in his second yr on the PGA Tour. That does not really feel like a lot of a lead this week.
“The blokes behind me are enjoying very well,” Thompson stated. “I do know it is going to be powerful to complete off a golf event, however I’ve executed it earlier than. I simply have to remain present-minded.”
His lone win was on the Korn Ferry Tour two years in the past.
Eric Cole hit 3-wood from 274 yards to simply inside 15 ft for eagle on the seventeenth that carried him to a 64 and into the ultimate group. He was two pictures behind. Becoming a member of them might be Aaron Rai of England, within the last group for the second straight week after a 66.
The ultimate spherical might be in threesomes off each tees for a barely later begin Sunday with hopes of avoiding storms that have already got made the course susceptible to low scoring.
Jordan Spieth performed early and at one level was tied for the lead — the leaders had not even reached the apply vary at that time — and wound up with a 63. By the top of the day, he made up just one stroke on the lead. Spieth was seven pictures behind in a tie for twelfth.
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“It will take one thing extraordinarily flawless to have an opportunity,” Spieth stated. “However I will attempt to do what I did in the present day.”
Hayden Spring lastly shot a spherical within the 60s — he opened with a course record-tying 59 and fell again with a 71 on Friday — and his 66 put him 4 pictures behind at 17-under 196 together with C.T. Pan, who had a 68.
Nonetheless within the combine had been a pair of children – one nonetheless in school, one simply out. Michael Thorbjornsen, who has a card because the No. 1 participant within the PGA Tour College rating after his senior yr at Stanford, had a 66. Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton had a 67. They had been amongst these 5 pictures off the lead.
Clanton made the reduce within the U.S. Open, after which tied for tenth final week within the Rocket Mortgage Traditional. He is making an attempt to develop into the primary newbie since 1958 to complete within the high 10 on the PGA Tour in consecutive weeks.
Clanton seems to be so snug that he even agreed to do a walk-and-talk with the CBS sales space whereas enjoying on the again 9.
“It is loopy, I can not even actually fathom what’s taking place proper now, truthfully,” Clanton stated. “I am nonetheless a 20-year-old child in school simply having enjoyable. Doing that stuff is unreal.”
Thompson acquired into the combination shortly by making a 25-foot birdie putt on the primary gap and getting up-and-down from the bunker for a birdie on the par-5 second. He additionally holed out from a bunker for birdie on the fifth after which acquired a break on the sixth when his drive hit a tree and kicked out to the golf green, establishing wedge to shut vary for birdie.
“I assume it was simply my day in the present day,” Thompson stated. “Hit a whole lot of good pictures on the again 9 and completed the spherical off effectively.”
He surged into the lead with three straight birdies on the again 9 — a tee shot to a foot on the par-3 twelfth gap, a 15-foot birdie putt on the thirteenth after which driving right into a bunker on the reachable par-4 14th and blasting out to a foot.
Now comes the arduous half — going for his first PGA Tour win, seven gamers inside 5 pictures of the lead on a course that’s giving up low scores to simply about everybody.
“Everyone is hungry. That is what makes it troublesome out right here,” Thompson stated. “There’s a whole lot of losers each week out right here. You possibly can have nice weeks and end high 10. On the finish of the day your purpose is to win the golf event.
“Yeah, it is irritating at instances, however on the finish of the day that is what you’re employed for, to place your self in these positions.”
