DeChambeau one shot clear, Tiger in hunt
OHIO: Bryson DeChambeau birdied four of his last six holes to surge to a one-shot lead on Saturday going into the final round of the US PGA Tour’s Memorial tournament.
DeChambeau, 24 signed for a bogeyfree 66 to move to 14-under 202 as the Californian looks to secure a second PGA Tour victory after capturing last year’s John Deere Classic.
Red-hot Chilean sensation Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Cantlay and Kyle Stanley were a stroke back on 203. Overnight co-leaders Niemann and Stanley both carded 70 while Cantlay’s 66 included two eagles, one of them a hole-in-one at the par-three eighth.
A further six players were within five shots of DeChambeau’s lead — including 14-time major champion Tiger Woods.
Woods briefly grabbed a share of the lead before stumbling with two bogeys in his last three holes.
South Korea’s An Byeong-Hun was alone in fifth after a 69 for 204 and England’s Justin Rose carded a 69 for 206.
Woods posted a 68 to head a group on 207 that also included Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (71).
DeChambeau, ranked 38th in the world, kick-started his push to the top of the board with birdies at the fifth and seventh holes. He posted back-to-back birdie “threes” at 13 and 14 and picked up a stroke at 16 before landing his 145-yard approach at the last five feet from the pin en route to a birdie.
“I just want to birdie every hole,” he said. “That’s all we’re trying to do out there.
“No matter if you’re one back or tied for the lead every hole is an opportunity to make a birdie and that’s just what I’m going to try and do every single day.”
Niemann, 19, highlighted his round with a 50-foot eagle putt at the par-five seventh.
Woods rolled in a 14-foot eagle putt at the par-five fifth and was five under for the day through nine.
The five-time Memorial winner missed a short birdie on 14 but gained a share of the lead at 11 under with a birdie at 15.
Three-putt bogeys at 16 and 18 quelled his momentum and Woods was left to wonder what could have been.
“I shot 68 today but, again, that’s probably the highest score I could have possibly shot today,” he said. “I played really, really well. I played beautifully, actually, had total control of what I was doing out there and just didn’t finish it off.” (USA unless noted, par-72)
202 — Bryson DeChambeau 69-67-66
203 — Patrick Cantlay 68-69-66, Kyle Stanley 67-66-70, Joaquin Niemann (CHI) 65-68-70
204 — An Byeong-Hun (KOR) 68-67-69
206 — Justin Rose (ENG) 71-66-69
207 — Kim Whee (KOR) 73-67-67, JB Holmes 70-6671, Tiger Woods 72-67-68, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 65-71-71
208 — Rory McIlroy (NIR) 74-70-64, David Lingmerth (SWE) 69-73-66, Ryan Moore 71-69-68, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 71-68-69, Adam Scott (AUS) 72-6670, Tom Hoge 71-67-70, Julian Suri 71-67-70, Keegan Bradley 68-70-70, Kim Si-Woo (KOR) 71-67-70