PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Jake Knapp survived a wild Saturday on the Cognizant Traditional and prevented calamity on the troublesome par-3 fifteenth by making a pair of late birdies for a 3-under 68 and a one-shot lead going into the ultimate spherical at PGA Nationwide.
Knapp, who opened the match with a 59, began the third spherical with a one-shot lead and was trailing by three photographs when he made the flip. He holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the sixteenth and completed with a chip-and-putt birdie on the par-5 closing gap to remain in entrance.
“Somewhat bit all over,” mentioned Knapp, who was at 16-under 197.
Proper behind was Michael Kim and practically two dozen others.
There was a lot motion on this fascinating third spherical that 10 gamers had no less than a share of the lead at one level. A few of them had been undone by the fifteenth, taking part in 163 yards over water framed by a rock wall.
Taylor Montgomery, who had six birdies on the entrance 9 and was the primary participant to succeed in 15 underneath, had a one-shot lead when he pumped two tee photographs within the hazard on the fifteenth. The primary was a line drive that just about hit an alligator within the water. The second from the drop space rolled again into the crevice of a rock. It added as much as a quadruple-bogey 7.
“You let your thoughts up on this sport for one second, and it might chunk you,” mentioned Montgomery, who rallied with two birdies on the following three holes to salvage a 68. He was three behind.
Jesper Svensson of Sweden, who earned a PGA Tour card via the European tour final 12 months, was tied for the lead when he caught an excessive amount of ball from a bunker behind the fifteenth inexperienced and it sailed into the water. He made triple bogey, and hit his drive into the water on the 18th. Tied for the lead with 4 to play, he wound up six behind.
One other sufferer was Kim, although he had fortune on this aspect. He had a one-shot lead going to the fifteenth when his tee shot caromed excessive off the rocks, veered onerous to the proper and was headed for the water when it landed softly within the muck.
Many of the golf ball was exhibiting, so he eliminated his proper shoe and sock and blasted out of the mud and onto the inexperienced about 25 toes away. He two-putted for his first bogey of the match. It may have worse – and messier.
“I did not get as moist as I assumed,” he mentioned, although his face had speckles of mud.
Knapp made his errors on the entrance 9, notably together with his iron play and quick sport, however he steadied himself down the stretch as so many others struggled.
That leaves a remaining spherical loaded with prospects on a course that has been getting firmer, notably the inexperienced, because the week goes on underneath loads of sunshine.
“It is only a lot much less pin looking,” Knapp mentioned. “It is a bit bit extra conservative targets and it’s important to be a bit bit extra dialed in with distance management and shot form and issues like that as a result of if you happen to do not you will find yourself in a bunker or water or someplace you do not wish to be.”
Russell Henley and Ben Griffin every had a 66, and Doug Ghim had a 68 to complete the loopy day simply two photographs behind. Montgomery and Rickie Fowler (68) had been three behind, adopted by a gaggle one other shot again that included Joe Highsmith and Max McGreevy, who every signed for a 64 earlier than the leaders even teed off.
Twenty-two gamers had been inside 5 photographs of the lead, a gaggle that features Jordan Spieth (68) and Brian Campbell, who gained his first PGA Tour title final week in Mexico and shot 66.
Knapp had the fifteenth rating of 59 or decrease on the PGA Tour, however solely 5 of these different gamers went on to win. The newest was Brandt Snedeker greater than seven years in the past. Knapp additionally will attempt to grow to be the primary wire-to-wire winner in match historical past.
For somebody who has led after every of the three rounds, it has been a distinct expertise due to that 59.
“It simply felt form of bizarre after taking part in so nicely Thursday … to hit photographs and never have or not it’s good each single time,” Knapp mentioned. “Simply needed to handle my expectations and never get too pissed off about something and simply perceive that it is a lengthy week. There’s loads of nice gamers out right here who can go silly low, so simply should attempt to persist with my sport plan.”
The Cognizant Traditional has moved round underneath completely different names over time. PGA Nationwide could be sufficient of a circus with a lot water and simply sufficient wind that no lead is ever secure. That a lot was evident on Saturday.
