The playing partner of Quebec golfer Étienne Papineau during the first two rounds of the Phoenix Open, this tournament of the American circuit which clashes with furious spectators”>Open Waste Management in Phoenix, Arizona, Sahith Theegala, retained the lead position after the first 54 holes of the event.
The 24-year-old American started his day badly, committing a double bogey at the second pennant, but he recovered well from this error, ending his round with five birdies and a bogey. He thus presents a cumulative of 199 (-14).
“I wish him so much that he wins this week. He did that so well during the first two rounds, mentioned Papineau, when reached by phone after the first 36 holes of the event. I would really like to see a guy I played with win the tournament.
Theegala will have to be wary of an array of opponents, however, including compatriot Brooks Koepka, who cut the point guard’s lead to a single strike. Additionally, a quartet of Americans tied for third place, two shots behind Theegala. Among this group, Scottie Scheffler was particularly impressive during the third round. With a card of 62 (-9), he jumped 41 positions.
Only two of the six Maple Leaf representatives had avoided the ax the day before, namely Adam Hadwin and Corey Conners. Hadwin can still hope to triumph, he who holds seventh place, along with four other golfers, three shots from the lead. As for him, Conners shares the 29th echelon, with a cumulative of 207 (-6).
Papineau, like Ben Silverman, Roger Sloan and Nick Taylor, didn’t have a chance to qualify for the weekend rounds.
A memorable hole-in-one
The blow of the day, however, goes to the American Sam Ryder. At TPC Scottsdale’s 16th pennant, a 124-yard par-3, particularly known for being loud and festive due to the bleachers that surround the entire hole, the 32-year-old sent his tee shot straight down the chopped off.
The 20,000 or so people in the vicinity of the alley and the green area then exploded with joy, in a scene that will forever be etched in the memory of Ryder, who managed to make his very first hole in the PGA. . He is still in 29th place, tied with Conners and a host of opponents.
Photo credit: AFP
Papineau had also mentioned the great difficulty represented by this pennant, not because of the obstacles there, but because the fans celebrate there throughout the competition. He himself played par on this hole in the first round, before committing a double bogey the next day.
“The reactions to hole number 16, which is surrounded by 25,000 people, the world te [hue] when you miss it [vert]. This week, I heard business, I was told business by spectators that I never thought I would be told in my life, Papineau had told. This tournament is like a party for the spectators. There are like no rules when you get to hole number 16 and you really shouldn’t let that affect you, because you hear so much about it.”
Photo credit: AFP
