PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Russell Henley rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on his first gap and by no means actually let up Saturday till he had a 6-under 65 and doubled the scale of his result in six pictures within the World Large Expertise at Mayakoba.
That is the sixth time Henley has had a minimum of a share of the 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, and whereas he has transformed solely one in every of them right into a victory — his rookie begin in 2013 in Hawaii — he has by no means had a lead like this.
Will Gordon bogeyed the 18th gap for a 68 to fall even farther again, tied with Patton Kizzire, who had a 67.
Henley was at 22-under 191, breaking his profession low for the opening 54 holes on the PGA Tour by one shot. He had a 192 within the Sony Open in January, in the end dropping in a playoff to Hideki Matsuyama.
Equally spectacular by Henley was going bogey-free, the one participant within the discipline who has but to drop a shot at El Camaleon.
Henley positive had his possibilities. He put his tee shot into the hazard on the 428-yard second gap, took a penalty drop after which hit his strategy to 4 toes to avoid wasting par.
Henley can be going for his fourth profession victory, and first for the reason that 2017 Houston Open.
This spherical had loads of stress in contrast with the opening two days, although that made it really feel extra satisfying due to the important thing putts he made that saved par and stored momentum in his favor.
He began with a three-shot lead and nobody made up any floor.
Sam Ryder was three behind. He was six again after making a double bogey on his first gap, whereas Henley made his lengthy birdie. Gordon had three straight birdies early on the again 9 to attempt to keep within the sport.
“The rating was good, but it surely simply felt more durable,” Henley stated. “It was my favourite of the three days as a result of it wasn’t simple.”
Seamus Energy of Eire, coming off a win in Bermuda, had a 63 and was seven pictures behind. His spherical featured a hole-in-one on the eighth gap, and he did not even get the stage to himself.
Greyson Sigg moments later made an ace on the par-3 tenth gap, and Sigg did not even notice it. He hit 7-iron, hit it effectively, knew it was a very good shot however wanted to get to the lavatory, and so he rushed off to the clubhouse close to the tee.
“We could not see it go in, nobody actually made any response,” Sigg stated. “So I threw my membership to my caddie and I took off and I got here within the locker room, went to the lavatory, and as I used to be strolling out, one of many locker room attendants was like, ‘Nice shot. Gap-in-one.’ And I used to be like, ‘No manner.'”
It was his first hole-in-one on the PGA Tour and he did not even get it out of the cup.
Two-time defending champion Viktor Hovland had a 66 and misplaced floor. He now’s 9 pictures behind. Masters champion Scottie Scheffler had a 68 and was in the midst of the pack, 13 pictures behind and with out a lot probability of regaining the No. 1 rating.
Two-time main champion Collin Morikawa had a 68 after which sounded offended in his Golf Channel interview when instructed that TV analyst Trevor Immelman urged his off yr would possibly really feel that manner due to a excessive bar from early success out of school.
“Wow, that is laborious to listen to from him. To be trustworthy, I might care much less what he says there as a result of I do not assume that is my bar,” Morikawa stated.
When instructed it was meant as a praise from having received a lot so typically, Morikawa wasn’t shopping for.
“I do not know if that was a praise, I will be trustworthy. If he did, possibly it got here off improper from what I heard,” he stated. “For me, I’ve by no means seen a ceiling. I simply need to maintain enhancing. Clearly we took a few steps again this yr but it surely’s simply making an attempt to get higher daily and enhance on little issues.”
