Canada’s Hearn right in thick of things
Eyes his first PGA victory, 27 players within four shots on crowded leaderboard
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.VA. — Jason Bohn’s main goal after barely making the cut at the Greenbrier Classic was to get some extra rest before the final round. Sweet dreams. And try not to think about being the co-leader heading into Sunday.
Bohn shot a 9-under 61 Saturday and was at 11-under 199, tied with Sean O’Hair, Sung Joon Park and Bryce Molder on the Old White TPC course. O’Hair and Park both shot 66. Molder had a 67.
It’s setting up to be another close finish at the tournament, which debuted in 2010. Two were decided in playoffs and the largest margin was two shots twice.
Brampton’s David Hearn (68), Justin Thomas (66), Danny Lee (68) and Chad Collins (68) were at 10 under. Hearn has never won a PGA event.
A crowded leaderboard has 27 players within four shots of the lead. Tiger Woods wasn’t among them.
Woods struggled on the back nine, shot 71 and was seven strokes back.
Bohn’s round was his best on the PGA Tour and included 14 one-putt greens. He shot 58 in a 2001 Canadian Tour event, the Bayer Championship. A two-time winner on the PGA Tour, Bohn has two runner-up finishes this season.
On Saturday, he was just hoping to play well enough to avoid an early tee time in the final round.
“I just wanted to sleep in to be honest, so now I don’t have to get up early in the morning,” Bohn said.
Bohn had birdied the final hole in the second round to make the cut on the number at 2 under, then kept the momentum going Saturday with birdies on four of the last five holes.
O’Hair lost to Jordan Spieth in a playoff at the Valspar Championship in March, but had missed cuts in four of his last five events.
Seeking his fifth PGA Tour win and first since 2011, O’Hair had four backnine birdies Saturday.
Woods hasn’t been the same since shooting 66 in the first round, his lowest score of the season and matching his best in relation to par.
Woods was within four shots of the lead at the start of Saturday’s round and kept pace with two front-nine birdies.
Then all parts of his game came unravelled. He surpassed 30 putts for the second straight day.
Woods drove out-of-bounds on the par-4 11th and made double bogey. He three-putted the par-4 13th from 30 feet for bogey.
“I started pressing at the end trying to make some birdies and really got aggressive,” Woods said.
“I hit a lot of shots close. I just need to convert on those.”