Jones has three-shot lead at Honda
Wise has horrific stretch to see six-shot lead dissolve amid blustery conditions
Aaron Wise had a six-shot lead during the third round of The Honda Classic, looking poised to turn the tournament into a rout.
Everything went wrong from there, and Matt Jones took full advantage.
The 40-year-old Australian handled the wind at PGA National to shoot a 1-under 69 on Saturday, going to 10 under for the tournament and moving three shots clear of Wise and J.B. Holmes.
“I’m happy to go low with the ball flight and I’m probably a little more conservative when the wind is up,” Jones said. “I’ll probably play a little safer than normal. I’m naturally a very aggressive player. But I think in the wind, I have a tendency to manage the golf course differently.”
Wise played his final 13 holes in 7 over, capped by hitting his tee shot into a quagmire of weeds and muck on the 18th for what became another bogey to cap a round of 75. Holmes (67) broke par for his third consecutive round.
“There really wasn’t anything I
really struggled with today,” Holmes said. “I hit everything pretty solid. So, it was just a really good day for me.”
C.T. Pan had a bogey-free 65 — the low round of the day — to get to 6 under, along with Cameron Tringale (69) and Sam Ryder (72). Defending champion Sungjae Im (69) was 5 under, tied with Keegan Bradley (67), Robert Streb (70), Zach Johnson (70), Brice Garnett (70) and Stewart Cink (70).
History says they’re all still in the mix. Only two of the last seven 54hole leaders at the Honda — Adam Scott in 2016 and Rickie Fowler in 2017 — have gone on to win. Im trailed by three last year entering the final round, Keith Mitchell by one in 2019, Justin Thomas by one in 2018, Padraig Harrington by three in 2015, and Russell Henley by two in 2014.
Scott was tied for the lead after 54 holes on his way to the 2016 win, and Fowler had a four-shot cushion going into Sunday four years ago.
Wise was 2 under for his round and 14 under for the tournament after the fifth hole, six shots clear of the field.
That’s when his woes started, and what became a nine-shot turnaround between he and Jones began.
Wise sailed the cart path at the par-4 sixth, beginning a stretch where he would miss five fairways in a sixhole stretch. He three-putted for double bogey — his first of the week — at the sixth, then dropped shots at two of his next four holes.
Jones grabbed a share of the lead with a birdie at the par-4 14th. Wise made bogey at the par-3 15th, falling out of the lead.
European PGA: Justin Harding takes a two-shot lead into the final round of the Kenya Open after a 7-under 64. The South African moved to 16 under overall at Karen Country Club. Johannes Veerman of the United States is one of three players sharing second place after he carded 9-under 62 for a course record. He is joined by American Kurt Kitayama (66) and Australian Scott Hend (68).