WASHINGTON – Justin Thomas ended his third coronavirus win on Saturday, interrupting the US PGA Tour season on Saturday, firing a six-par par 66 for a two-shot lead over Viktor Hovland at Muirfield Village in Ohio.
Thomas, whose 12 tour titles include a major triumph at the 2017 PGA championship, had six little birds without a cart on the road for a total of 54 holes of 16 under 200.
The Norwegian Hovland had eight birds in his 66 years when he joined Thomas in the review of the night leader Collin Morikawa, who started the day with a three-shot lead and fired a par 72 par only on Sunday in third in 203.
It was two more shots to Sam Burns (70) and Kevin Streelman (71) to 205.
Back-to-back birds in fifth and sixth places let Morikawa maintain his lead even though Thomas puts three straight birds together at five, six and seven – firing from a green bunker two feet to seventh to get a shot on the head .
Morikawa’s carts on the ninth and tenth opened the door for Thomas, who took full advantage of it, rolling in an 18-foot putt birdie at the 11th to take the lead and fill it with birds at 14 and 15.
The number five in the world, Thomas kept his pillow with a saving par from a bunker on the green at 16.
“I went very well today,” said Thomas. “Scrambling, chipping and putting, I did those puts when I needed them, I hit some excellent chips and big bunker shots when I needed them.”
This week’s Workday Charity Open is the first of back-to-back events at Muirfield Village designed by Jack Nicklaus, added to increase the coronavirus-interrupted calendar.
The Memorial hosted by Nicklaus will follow next week, and Thomas said efforts to give the two events a different look have created some difficult holes.
“Some pin placements I’ve never seen before,” he said. “Many ins, like 11, you see in practice shifts, are a bit in the middle of the green. They seem easy, but they are on huge slopes or are on a level.”
– “Trying to make birdies” –
After rain, wind and lightning led to two suspensions on Friday, the weather was sunny but windy for the third round.
Tee times were raised for Sunday, however, with more inclement weather forecasts.
Thomas, who didn’t have a bogey this week, said he wouldn’t focus on keeping that streak alive in the final round.
“Global bogeys appear,” said Thomas, who won the NJ Bridges CJ Cup in October and the Champions Tournament in January before the tour stopped play in March amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am just going out there and I will continue to execute my game plan. I am not trying not to bogey. I am stepping on the tee trying to hit the fairway, trying to make birdies. If you are out of position, then you try to perform a par “.
Hovland is looking for his second US touring title this season, having made his first victory at the Puerto Rico Open in February.
His six-effort was fueled by his off-tee length.
“Driving out here is very important,” he said. “I somehow sprayed a couple to the right, so if I can keep them a little straighter tomorrow I’ll give myself a lot of birdy looks.”
© Agence France-Presse
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