by Palm Harbor, Florida – Viktor Hovland was stable in the middle of a wild Saturday accusations and collapsed in the Valspar championship, leaving him in equality for the head to Innisbrook with two dozen players still in the mixture.
Jacob Bridgeman showed a lot of courage in his first time as a 36-hole leader, falling four lathered and rallying for a 70-one to share the head with Hovland (69) and Nico Echavarria (66).
They were 7 sous 206 with apparently everyone on the heels. This includes Justin Thomas, who left on Friday, hoping he would cut. He pulled 30 on the nine rear for a 65, his lower roundhead of Copperhead in Innisbrook, to finish two behind.
Jordan Spieth was entertaining like never before, twice sneaky in the woods, and with a pair of putts in short, and having to settle for a 67. There was still only four shots behind Sunday during which 23 players were separated by four shots.
Byeong Hun An was the only player to reach 9 sous with a birdie on the 11th hole, only to make five bogeys on the last seven holes for a 72. Even so, he was only three years old.
Hovland entered the week in search of his swing, returning to another coach and being ready to take as long as he needed to understand where the ball is going. It works so far in its favor.
“It’s fun to be in the running, but it’s a little more stressful when you don’t feel super comfortable on the ball,” said Hovland. “But guy is fun to see putts enter and see the ball ending near the hole and put good scores up there.”
Echavarria, which won Japan last fall for its second PGA Tour title, finished well in front of the last groups and played Bogey without Bogey for its 66, remarkably Birdie on the three by 3 on the nine rear.
The Colombian did not expect to have a share of the advance when he finished, even if he knew he would have at least a chance.
“This is a golf course where you do not need to be an advantage by starting to get the leaders,” he said. “We have seen that it is a hard golf course. You have to drive your ball very well here. You have to hit the Greens. It’s difficult around the Greens. So we’re going to have a chance of tomorrow.”
Tee Times and agreement for the last round of the Valspar championship in Palm Harbor, Florida.
The most impressive was Bridgeman, a second year player who started the third round by missing a putt per 3 feet. He also took two consecutive bogeys to finish the first nine and was late. But then he hit the corner at 3 feet for Birdie on the 10th and fell. At one point, Bridgeman had seven straight holes without peer.
“I was just below and grind the best possible,” said Bridgeman. “I did not hit him very well. I was not agitated, I did not really panic. But I knew that if I could get the ball in the fairway, I would be fine. ”
He said that after the Birdie out of 10, his Caddy GW cable slapped him on the back and said to him: “Let’s go.”
“And I kept it,” said Bridgeman.
Thomas and Spieth destroyed each other about five hours before the leaders, longtime friends who have turned Birdies in turn. Thomas felt frustrated not to invent a lot of ground until he put on an eagle putt just inside 30 feet on the 11th hole in 5 and was on the way. Thomas observed the following three holes and at one point, there was a blow behind.
“We had a short four-hole race there and that can make the difference in an entire week or not,” said Thomas. “So I hope it’s the one who triggers the week.”
Ricky Castillo had a 68 and was a blow behind. Thomas and Shane Lowry (70) were one of the five players at 5 under 208, with An and Billy outside the Check (69) in the big group another blow behind. Lucas Glover (69) was part of the group with Spieth four behind.
“The ranking is stacked. There is probably like 25 guys – perhaps 30 guys – who can still win this golf tournament,” said Jeremy Paul of Germany, who fired 70 years and was in the group two shots behind. “Try to bring a good tour and see where it puts me.”
