Rookies tied for lead at 3M
Seeking first PGA victories
Matthew Wolff and Collin Morikawa grew up about 30 minutes apart in California and golfed against each other in high school.
That was only a few years ago.
Sunday's competition could result in a much bigger reward.
GOLF ROUNDUP
The first-month professionals are in prime positions for one to get his first career win at a first-time event.
Wolff shot a 9-under 62 Saturday to share the lead with Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau at 15 under after three rounds of the inaugural 3M Open.
Morikawa shot a 7-under 64 at the TPC Twin Cities; DeChambeau a 1-under 70.
Seeking his first tour win in 31 tour starts, Wyndham Clark shot a 64 and was tied with Adam Hadwin (69) one shot back.
Wolff, 20, who won the NCAA individual title on Memorial Day, is playing in his third event since turning professional, Morikawa, 22, his fourth. They're the final pairing Sunday.
"It's on a lot bigger stage, but our games played very well throughout the spring," said Morikawa, named the Pac-12 Men's Golfer of the Year in May. "We're going to have to control our nerves, remember who we are, what brought us out here."
"These guys are really good, and I know I'm really good, so it's going to be fun," Wolff said.
A bomber off the tee, Wolff is averaging 306.5 yards through three rounds with his herky-jerky swing. A change in philosophy is allowing that length to be more of an asset.
"The last couple weeks I think I've been a little too strategic. I got together this week with my team and I said, 'You know what, I'm just going to rip driver and just send it.' That's kind of what I've been doing, and it's been working out," he said.
Wolff, who made his professional debut two weeks ago by finishing 80th at the Travelers Championship and missed the cut at last week's Rocket Mortgage Classic, added stellar approach shots to help him record six straight birdies on Nos. 5-10. Birdies at No. 13 and 15 made a round of 59 seem possible.
However, Wolff missed a 4-foot birdie putt on No. 16 and a tee shot into a bunker led to bogey on the par-3 17th. He scrambled for birdie on No. 18 after an errant tee shot.
Calling his round "pretty much stress-free," Morikawa birdied five of his first seven holes, but only three the rest of the way.
"Just hit my lines, hit a lot of good shots and played to my strengths. Ball-striking has been my strength ever since I've been a little kid," he said.
Playing in ideal weather conditions — temperatures in the low-80s, increasing clouds and no wind — 65 of the 85 players shot under par on the par-71 layout. DeChambeau barely did. After his sixth career win and first since the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in November, he opened the day with a two-shot lead but birdied only the first and last holes to go with one bogey and 15 pars.
"I just didn't make a couple putts that were necessary to give myself that three-, four-shot lead like I should have today," he said.
Rock flirts with 59
Robert Rock narrowly missed a 30-foot putt for eagle that would have given him the second round of 59 in European Tour history.
The Englishman settled for a birdie, a 10-under 60 and first place on 13 under overall after the third round of the Irish Open.
Rock made 11 birdies, including six straight to close his round. His putt for eagle at the last was from just off the green, and it slid left of the cup.
“The finish was a bit much really,” Rock said. “I holed a really long putt on No. 17 and it was only when I was walking to the second shot on No. 18 and checked the par (of the course) that I realized it was an eagle for 59.
“It’s disappointing not to make it, but 60 is a great score and I’ve played rubbish so far this season so it’s nice to play better.”
Rafa Cabrera-Bello (63) will join Rock in the last group, one shot off the lead along with Eddie Pepperell (66).
4 tied at Thornberry
A late slip cost Sung Hyun Park control and she slipped into a four-way tie for the lead going into the final round of the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.
Park, who returned to No. 1 in the world after winning last week in Arkansas, made double bogey on the par-5 15th at the Thornberry Creek of Oneida course on Saturday.
She missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole and remained tied for the lead with Shanshan Feng (65), Tiffany Joh (66), and Ariya Jutanugarn (67).
They were at 20-under 196. Yealimi Noh, the 17-year-old who got into the event through Monday qualifying, played in the final group with Park and matched her with a 69. Noh had a chance to share the lead until her 18foot birdie chance missed.