Hagy powers way to best round of the day with 64

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Before the galleries assembled, before many players were finished with breakfast, the harddriving upstart made his move Saturday in the Honda Classic.

Theleaderswere stilltwo hours from teeing off when BrandonHagy, flying under the radar in the morning’s first pairing, checked in with a 6-under-par64 in the third round, which matched the best score of the tournament and would hold up as low round of the day.

Hagy? The Cal-Berkeley product is known for the wallop he imparts on the ball.

His 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame doesn’t suggest it, but Hagy ranks sixth on the PGA Tour in average driving distance (124.65 yards) and third in club-head speed (124.65 mph).

In Friday’s second round, Hagy had the longest drive on three holes.

Sharper putting than usual had a lot to do with Saturday’s bogey-free round, which featured six birdies. His length off the tee took a lot of the teeth out of the course.

“I hit a lot of 3 woods today, which with my length was an advantage, I thought — just to get it in play and still have relatively short clubs in,” said Hagy, tied for eighth at 6-under. “Par 5s, longer par 4s, which I was able to turn some of the tougher holes into birdies.”

Among them, a birdie on No. 18, the longest hole of the course at 556 yards. Hagy drove it 344 yards and reached the green with his second shot.

Playing in his 19th PGA event, Hagy isn’t technically a rookie, but at 25 he is part of the wave of talented young players.

He is one of several making an impact this week whoplayedatPGANational in qualifying school events within the past two or three years and had subsequent success on the Web.com Tour. Wesley Bryan, Emiliano Grillo and first-round co-leader Cody Gribble are notable among the others.

Hagy said he also benefited from playing four rounds on the Champion Course when he was 15 in a future collegians junior tournament, thoughheconcededhe “gotmy ass kicked. But it was another good experience.”

Adding that, “I didn’t play great in Q-school, but experience is experience, especially at this track. You get to see all the different wind directions, it’s definitely an advantage.”

Hatton, Schedule: Tickets: Parking: TV: Information:

He has rewarded their faith with a run of success, including the 2016 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, during which he equaled the Old Course at St. Andrews course record with a 62.

Hatton, 25, is on what he refers to as his American Adventure for three months, which will include the Players Championship and his first appearance in TheMasters.

This isHatton’s first time playing in Florida since 2012, when he said he was watched by “no one.” That will change today.