It was a crazy day at The Players Championship on Saturday, after two first rounds interrupted, one by night and the other by weather, which resulted in the retirement of Jon Rahm and the missed cut of Rory McIlroy. This third round was the day of records of all kinds, with the bonus of a new hole in one at 17, the most famous place of TPC Sawgrass.
Credit where credit is due, the hit of the day, Saturday at Playerswas the work of the English Aaron Rai128th player in the world, on the famous hole number 17 of the TPC Sawgrass. A perfect tee shot, to touch theIsland Green right in the heart and see his ball go down cheerfully towards the hole.
It is the first hole in one of his professional career and the second time in three days that a player has hit the target, after the American Hayden Buckley THURSDAY. Never had two holes in one been made in the same week at the Players! While at the same time, 18 balls fell into the water on Thursday 17, and another 25 on Friday.
ANOTHER ACE ON 17!!!!!
Aaron Rai makes his first career ace to send the crowd into a frenzy! pic.twitter.com/48vVElNQr7
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 11, 2023
Even if he has already reached 70th place in the world rankings, Rai did not shine often last year with all the same some places of honor, on the PGA Tour or on the DP World Tour : 7th of Houston Open5th of theItalian Open9th of theIrish Open6th you Farmers Insurance Open, for 10 missed cuts. Thanks to his card of 65 on Saturday, ending with birdie-eagle-birdie on the dreaded 16-17-18 sequence, which no one had ever realized either, Rai will start his golf Sunday in 4th place (-9 ), five strokes Scottie Scheffler.
Scottie Scheffler above the fray
Scheffler also broke another record on this crazy day on Saturday: -14 after three rounds, thanks to three very high level cards (68-69-65), the best cumulative score in an edition of The Players, after three days. Enough to count two strokes ahead of the second, Min Woo Leeand four on Cam Davisthe two Australians who will set off in pursuit on Sunday.
What a finish ????
Scottie Scheffler closes the day with a birdie to take a two-shot lead @THEPLAYERSChamp. pic.twitter.com/2QqcBPWXME
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 11, 2023
Ten birdies for Tom Hoge
Another record, that of the course, which also fell on Saturday! The author of this feat is the American Tom Hoge, 33rd player in the world, who made a memorable card of 62, when he had played 78 Thursday at the start of the tournament and he narrowly passed the cut. A card studded with ten birdies for no bogey. Delirious!
History for Hoge.@HighGolf has broken the course record with a 62 @THEPLAYERSChamp. pic.twitter.com/X9Jhz4HoOC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 11, 2023
Jerry Kelly, better than Arnold Palmer
Finally, as it was record day, there was another one: Jerry Kelly56 years and 3 months, former 18th world player who now shines on the PGA Tour Championsbroke a 38-year-old record: that of the oldest player to pass the cut at the Players.
The previous mark had been established by the great Arnold Palmer in 1985, at the already respectable age of 55 years and 6 months. This record was broken on Saturday morning, when the 2nd round ended. With in the list of players ejected from the cut two winners of Majors, Rory McIlroy et Matthew Fitzpatrick, who could be the sons of Jerry Kelly!
Photo: SAM GREENWOOD / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP
