DUBLIN, Ohio – Justin Thomas kept another clean card at Muirfield Village and had a 6-under 66 to turn a three-stroke deficit into a two-stroke lead on Saturday at Open Workity Charity.
First Thomas had to flee a series of birds to stay within Collin Morikawa’s range. And when Morikawa started to fade away with three carts in a four-hole stretch around the round, Thomas converted to par 5s and played wisely on par-4 14th short for another bird to keep Viktor Hovland at bay.
reported: Complete ranking | | How to give Muirfield a second identity
The last group is a glimpse of the next generation of golf.
Thomas is the proven star, already a great champion, FedExCup winner and former number 1 in the world at the age of 27, after his third win this season and the thirteenth victory of his career.
Hovland and Morikawa had just dropped out of college this past year.
Former US Norwegian amateur champion Hovland had eight birds in his 66 round and had two shots behind. Morikawa had to kill 18 for a 72.
Thomas thinks it won’t be the first time they all play together.
“Tomorrow it will be fun to be with those guys, but in the end I am worried about myself and about trying to win a golf tournament and have a good ride,” he said.
Thomas was under 16 years old. The final round will start soon due to heavy storms in the Sunday afternoon forecast, with threesomes starting on both tees.
Morikawa was ahead for 31 straight holes, dating back to the 15th hole in the opening round, until he lost the ninth green with a short iron, hitting a wild T-shot on the 10 that led to bogey, and sending his even -3 12 ° T-shot well beyond the green in such a bad spot that even bogeying was hard work.
“I put myself in places where you can’t get in,” said Morikawa. “I really couldn’t understand the wind directions, how much to fix. But all day again tomorrow, and a little happy to have fought to the end I found myself three times. So that tomorrow can change very quickly.”
Hovland, who won the Puerto Rico Open this year, quickly got back into the game by opening up with a couple of birds at the start and making birdies on all par 5. He also faced the 14th hole, where the tees were moved to high for this tournament to play 310 yards – accessible from the tee, but with bunkers on the left and water on the right.
Hovland hit his 30-foot T-shot for a two-headed bird.
Thomas tried to drive the green on a 3-wood Friday and had to work on his par. With the wind slightly behind him, he opted for an iron 6 off the tee and a short iron in the green. This led to a 10 foot birdie putt.
Morikawa went to the left of the t-shirt bunkers and had no chance of approaching him with the green running away from him.
Hovand was thrilled to be in this position, especially for the start of his week. Thursday had 3 holes of 10 to 10 and closed with six birds in the last 8 holes. He followed with rounds of 67-66.
The spotlight will be on young people – Thomas is the veteran of this group – with some others on the margins of the dispute.
Sam Burns, a 23-year-old from LSU, was 70 years old and joined Kevin Streelman (71) with five shots at 11 under 205. Ian Poulter, who returned to Muirfield Village for the first time since 2009 due to the reconfigured program, had a 69 and had six shots behind, along with Rory Sabbatini, who had a 69.
“Tomorrow will have to be low,” said Poulter.
The biggest surprise was MJ Daffue, a thirty-one year old from South Africa who played golf at college in Lamar and struggled to make him a professional. He qualified for the Workday Charity Open on Monday, participating only in his second PGA TOUR event. He had to kill the last hole on Saturday morning to make the cut. And then he made an 18 foot eagle putt late in his 65 round, the best score on Saturday.
He had seven backtracks and loved every minute of his time around the course built by Jack Nicklaus.
The TOUR needs this tournament to end ahead of time. The course will be closed on Monday to replace all signs and remove the 10 electronic scoreboards for the Memorial.
It is the first time in 63 years that the PGA TOUR has organized back-to-back tournaments on the same route.
