Thornberry surges at FedEx St. Jude Classic
Braden Thornberry sank another birdie putt Saturday morning and the growing gallery following him hollered “Hotty Toddy” once again. The Ole Miss golfer from Olive Branch was on a roll, rising into the top 10 on the leaderboard, and all over TPC Southwind they were beginning to take notice.
“It’s like you’ve played this course before,” one tournament volunteer said.
“Just a few times,” Thornberry shot back, a grin coming over his face as he made his way to the 15th tee.
Those early fireworks set the tone
for moving day at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, as familiar faces and relative unknowns charged into contention during a third round that could produce an exciting duel in Sunday’s final pairing.
Second-round leader Dustin Johnson left the course with a share of the tournament lead. If Johnson wins this event for the second time, he would regain the No. 1 ranking in the world ahead of the U.S. Open next week at Shinnecock Hills in New York.
But he’ll have to fend off 29-year-old Andrew Putnam, who sits tied with him atop the leaderboard at 15-under.
“I want to go out and just stick to my gameplan, make good shots and obviously win the golf tournament,” said Johnson, who won the FedEx St. Jude Classic in 2012. “It’s a little bit of a bonus to go back to No. 1.”
Johnson and Putnam jockeyed for position from separate groups throughout the afternoon and eventually pulled away from the rest of the field. Only Stewart Cink, who used a hole-in-one on No. 8 to post a round of 64 and rocket into third place, is within five shots of them.
Putnam briefly grabbed the outright lead from Johnson with a birdie on the par-4 No. 12. But Johnson vaulted past him with birdies on No. 13 and No. 15. The latter featured an 130-yard approach shot to within four feet of the pin.
Putnam then closed with a flourish, sinking a birdie putt on No. 18 that rolled around the edge of the cup and into the hole. He finished with a 6-under 64 for the second consecutive day and leads the field in strokes gained via putting this week.
Through 54 holes, he has just one bogey. He will be in search of his first career PGA Tour victory Sunday.
“I’m just going to let the emotions come,” Putnam said. “Before I feel like I’ve tried to hold my position, but I know with Dustin, he’s going to be making birdies so I’ve got to play well and embrace the moment.”
Thornberry had no problem with that Saturday, and sent out the first shockwaves of the morning with a scintillating performance on the front nine.
Thornberry birdied five of his first nine holes en route to a 5-under 65 Saturday, and the contingent of fans wearing Ole Miss gear increased by the hour. There have been only four rounds of 65 or better by an amateur in FedEx St. Jude Classic history, and Thornberry now owns two of them.
A year after he put together the best finish by an amateur in a PGA Tour event at TPC Southwind, the De Soto Central High graduate looks poised to do something similar Sunday. He is tied for 10th at 6-under.
“You have to think of yourself as the best of the best, and that’s what I do,” Thornberry said. “When I go out there, I don’t think I’m any lesser than any of the guys I’m playing with.”
He was, however, likely one of the few golfers in the field playing with a new caddie. Matthew Achatz took over Thornberry’s bag earlier this week when he made the U.S. Open via a 36-hole qualifier here in the Memphis area.
The two had a mutual friend in Don Donatello, who is the caddie for PGA Tour pro Tom Lovelady. Achatz was looking for work with his usual golfer, Jim Herman, out due to injury this season. He previously caddied for Rocco Mediate when he lost to Tiger Woods in a playoff at the 2008 U.S. Open.
So this week, Achatz offered his services for free because Thornberry isn’t eligible to take home any prize money despite wowing Memphis golf fans for the second year in a row.
“Everybody needs a break and I’m happy to help,” Achatz said. “Maybe when he turns pro, he’ll keep me on his short list.”