JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Ben Griffin moved into place for his first PGA Tour victory with some other bogey-free round Saturday for a 6-under 66, giving him a three-shot lead within the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Griffin were given up-and-down for par on his final 3 holes, the final one from a bunker to the precise of the 18th inexperienced. He made the 6-footer to stay his distance over Carl Yuan, who had a 67.
At stake for Griffin is a place within the Masters, beginning the 12 months at Kapalua for The Sentry and possibly being frontrunner for PGA Tour rookie of the 12 months.
Griffin used to be at 20-under 296 and has no longer made a bogey in his final 37 holes, even supposing he tempted destiny a couple of occasions on the Country Club of Jackson. He hit most effective seven fairways and overlooked 4 vegetables, probably the most of any round this week.
“I got myself out of position on a holes, maybe made the wrong decision,” Griffin mentioned with a grin. “But I feel like one of the strengths of my game is scrambling. And I had to do that on a few holes. Otherwise, I pretty much hit my targets all day.”
Griffin already has his PGA Tour card locked up for subsequent 12 months, however a victory would in point of fact set him up for 2024 and the $20 million tournaments.
Yuan is No. 151 within the FedEx Cup. Only the highest 125 after the FedEx Cup Fall earn complete standing for 2024, and 5 tournaments stay after this week.
Those proper in the back of Yuan know the sensation. Scott Stallings (No. 130), Henrik Norlander (No. 142) and Luke List (No. 119) have been tied for 3rd, 4 photographs in the back of.
Stalling matched the low ranking of the 3rd round, a 65 that used to be helped via his 50-foot pitch from simply wanting the reachable fifteenth that he sank for eagle. He gave credit to Wesley Bryan, having watched his pitch from the tough race during the inexperienced. That made Stallings trade his shot, figuring out how briskly it’s within the entrance.
“I was going to play a completely different shot until I saw how fast his ball was once it got past the hole,” Stallings mentioned. “I was literally trying to check-spin it just over the edge, and obviously it got super lucky going in. But I was happy with how I executed it.”
Norlander and List each and every shot a 68.
Ludvig Aberg of Sweden, coming off his Ryder Cup debut in Italy, in spite of everything got here to existence overdue in his round. He made 5 birdies during the last 8 holes for a 66, remaining the space to 6 photographs.
Aberg is at No. 136, regardless that his card is locked in for 2024 as a result of he completed at No. 1 within the PGA Tour University rating as a senior at Texas Tech. Among different issues, getting into the highest 125 would earn him a place in The Players Championship.
Griffin may inform the direction used to be yielding just right ratings when he teed off, and he were given entering into the precise route briefly. He hit a tough wedge from the Bermuda tough that rolled out to 4 ft for birdie on the second one hollow, after which two-putted for birdie from 35 ft at the par-5 3rd.
After that, he made certain he stayed in entrance, including a couple of 12-foot birdies and his longest putt at the thirteenth from about 25 ft.
Griffin started his rookie 12 months with a possibility to win the Bermuda Championship, most effective to get surpassed overdue within the day and tying for 3rd.
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