Putnam and Johnson turn St. Jude into two-player race
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Andrew Putnam matched the best round of his short PGA Tour career with a 6-under 64 and tied Dustin Johnson atop the St. Jude Classic on Saturday.
In position to reclaim the No. 1 ranking with a victory, Johnson had a 65 to match Putnam at 15-under 195.
Putnam, a two-time winner on the Web.com Tour, was bogey-free playing a group ahead. Now he will play in the last group on the final day for the first time on the PGA Tour with Johnson.
“It’s going to feel a little different than the typical Sunday round of golf, but I’m excited for it,” Putnam said. “I’ve earned my way here and I feel like it’s going to be a fun day. See what happens.”
Stewart Cink, who had a hole-in-one on No. 8, matched his low round of the year with a 64 to get to 10 under.
Ricky Werenski got to 10 under but bogeyed No. 18 to finish with a 68. He was tied with Bryan Wesley (69) at 9 under. Brandt Snedeker (70) was at 7 under.
Well back are three Canadians — Nick Taylor, Corey Conners and Ben Silverman — at plus 1.
Johnson and Putnam, a 29-year-old from Washington with a pair of Top 10s this year on tour, quickly turned the third round at TPC Southwind into a two-man race.
Playing in the final group, Johnson opened with a birdie after hitting his approach to six feet on No. 1. Putnam, a group ahead, birdied three of his first four holes and took the lead to himself briefly at 12 under by rolling in from 31 feet for birdie on No. 5.
A tee shot way left on the par-5 third hole cost Johnson a penalty and a drop, making par the best he could do. Johnson tied Putnam with a birdie on No. 5. But the man trying to get back to No. 1 before going to the U.S. Open bogeyed No. 9 after hitting his tee shot into the right rough and two-putting from 14 feet.
Johnson rebounded with a birdie on No. 10, hitting his second from 152 yards to eight feet and tied Putnam again. Putnam rolled in a 22-footer for birdie on No. 12 to reach 13 under, only to see Johnson sink an eight-footer for birdie on No. 13 to tie him up again.
Johnson birdied No. 13. On No. 15, he hit his approach 130 yards to within four feet for birdie and birdied the par-5 16th.
Putnam rolled in from 17 feet to wrap up his round with a share of the lead.
Cink, who last won The Open Championship in 2009, took advantage of the par 3s with two birdies and his holein-one to keep close.
“It can be a little bit of a shock when it happens and suddenly you find yourself right up there in the mix and you’ve got to reset yourself,” Cink said of his hole-in-one. “But I did a really good job the rest of the way and I’m proud of that, and I look forward to tomorrow.”
It’s going to feel a little different than the typical Sunday round of golf, but I’m excited for it.” Andrew Putnam