Late birdie spree puts Rahm in command
Spaniard goes four in front at Memorial
DUBLIN: Jon Rahm, chasing the world No.1 ranking, birdied four of the last six holes to seize a four-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the US PGA Memorial tournament.
The 25-year-old Spaniard birdied four holes in a row starting at the 13th as American Tony Finau stumbled from the lead on the back nine to take command after 54 holes at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.
Rahm, whose most recent victory came in November at the European Tour’s season finale in Dubai, fired a four-under-par 68 to stand on 12-under 204 with American Ryan Palmer and Finau sharing second on 208 after 73s.
Saying he had been hitting the ball too strong during workouts in the tour’s three-month Covid-19 hiatus, Rahm said some swing changes helped set up his success this week.
“The main thing was changing the loft on the clubs,” he said. “Had to get used to it last week. It seems to be paying off now.”
Rahm can overtake Rory McIlroy and claim the world No.1 ranking for the first time with a victory or runner-up finish, depending on how the four-time major winner from Northern Ireland fares.
With a win, Rahm needs McIlroy to finish worse than a two-way share of second. If Rahm is alone in second, he needs McIlroy outside the top 30 and Justin Thomas not to win.
Finau and Palmer shared the lead at nine under, one ahead of Rahm, when the day began.
Rahm sank a five-foot birdie putt at the par-five seventh but found a bunker and made bogey at the par-three eighth, then made his charge on the back nine.
Rahm sank a 13-foot birdie putt at 13, dropped his approach just beyond four feet and sank the putt at 14, holed a three-foot putt at the par-five 15th and rolled in a 26-foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th before closing with two pars.
Finau sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-three fourth to grab the lead at 10 under, but his tee shot at the par-five fifth bounced off the sun-baked fairway and into a water hazard, although he was able to salvage par.
Finau began the back nine with back-to-back birdies, holing an impressive 50-foot putt at the par-four ninth and reaching the green in two at the par-five 11th to set up a tap-in birdie to reach 12-under and seize a threestroke advantage.
Double-bogey disaster struck Finau at the par-three 12th when he found the rough, needed two chips to reach the green and missed a 10-foot bogey putt.
Finau sent his tee shot into the water again at 14 on the way to a bogey and, after a birdie at 15, took another double bogey at 17.
England’s Danny Willett was fourth on 210 with Australia’s Jason Day and Sweden’s Henrik Norlander sharing fifth on 211. Reigning Masters champion Tiger Woods, who battled back issues on Friday and shot 76 to make the cut, improved to a 71 on Saturday to stand on 218.