Avondale, LA — Windham Clarke and Bo Hossler shot a 10-under 62 in a best-of-the-ball match Saturday to keep their one-shot lead through three rounds at the Zurich Classic.
“It will be a great environment and a unique experience, frankly, to have the chance to win a golf tournament with a partner,” Hossler said. “So, it will be a nice little day for us.”
Clark and Haussler finished each of the first three rounds atop the leaderboard on the strength of consistent and largely flawless play. While they didn’t account for any of the 25 Eagles during the tournament, they didn’t post a single bogey in 54 holes either.
They mustered a 10-hole putt in the third round to put up 26-under – a stroke ahead of Sungjae Im and Keith Mitchell – heading into the final round.
Clark has made a birdie putt from over 20 feet – 26 feet at par 4 12 and 21 feet at par 3.
“I hope tomorrow we will be as light and dressed as we have been all three days,” Clark said. “If the momentum goes our way, I hope we can continue to lead it.”
While 29-year-old Clark and 28-year-old Hossler have yet to win a PGA Tour between them, both have had several top 20 finishes this season. Clarke finished 5th in the Valspar Championship. Hossler tied for eleventh in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
“Honestly, getting into a position to win a golf tournament is difficult, and closing the deal is very difficult,” Hossler said. “The more opportunities you get, the more rest you get, and hopefully we can build on that tomorrow.”
Em and Mitchell also came out of the bogey with 10 birdies to stay one shot at 25 under. Highlights included Em’s 23-foot 3rd.
He was tied for third by Vincent Norman, Matthias Schwab, Taylor Moore, Matthew Neismith, Nick Hardy and Davis Riley, with three putts to back.
All 35 teams that made the cut started the third round within six shots of each other. But only 12 teams were within six shots of the lead going into Sunday.
Brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick scored their second round 10-under 10 in three days. Both came in better ball form which, in theory, would have allowed the more accomplished Matt Fitzpatrick – the reigning US Open champion and winner of RBC Heritage last week – to carry the team.
But in both of his best volleys, Alex had as many birdies or more. They each had five in the first and Alex had six from 11 birdies on Saturday. They would have had the best round of the day had it not been for a fourth-rate bogey at six.
They enter the final round – which will be played in the alternate shot – five shot format.
The stakes are much higher for Alex Fitzpatrick, who may earn his PGA Tour card with his win, or may qualify for an additional PGA Tour event with a high finish. But the elder Fitzpatrick dismissed the idea that he felt pressure to further his younger brother’s career.
“I’m not worried about Alex this week,” Matt Fitzpatrick said. “He can keep his own… I just want him to have fun this week, and I think by having fun with him, you’ll give yourself a better chance.”
Similarly, Alex Fitzpatrick said, “There are stakes, but at the same time, we have nothing to lose… If we play well, great. If we don’t, it’s not the end of the world. I’m for spending time with my brother, spending time with my family.” and things.”
After making a big move up the leaderboard on Friday with a tournament-record 9-under in an alternate shot round, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schavelli shot a 6-under 66 – seven birdies and bogey at 16 – and were six-unders in the 20-under.
Billy Hurschel and former LSU player Sam Burns shot 63 to improve it to 20-under. Burns highlighted the round by chipping in for Birdie in the par-4 13th, then waving his arm up to cheer the exhibition while cheering LSU! “
The tees were up and there was a helping wind at 16, 332 yards, 4, spurring many players to try to drive to the green — even if a missing left meant going in the water. No team has flown an eagle into the hole but 19 have flown it. Nikolai Hoggard’s drive landed just in front of the green and hit the pin, but coming within 10 yards, teammate Thorbjorn Olesen, finished with a birdie, catching Hoggard after missing his eagle putt.
Charlie Hoffman, teamed with Nick Watney, made the first hole-in-one of this year’s championships on the 210-yard, par 9 par 3. It was the third of his career.