Thomas has lead, Rahm has record 61

Justin Thomas has done just about everything at the Mexico Championship except win.

Even with a one-shot lead going into the final round, Saturday was enough of a reminder that no lead is safe at Chapultepec Golf Club and nothing comes easily.

Thomas was five shots behind while playing the par-five sixth hole at Mexico City. He was three shots ahead when he walked off the 15th green with a twoputt birdie. He wound up with a six-under-par 65 — bogeys at the start and finish of his round, eight birdies and solid golf in between. He is at 15-under 198.

Patrick Reed also made bogey on the 18th hole for a 67 that cost him a share of the lead, while Erik van Rooyen of South Africa chipped in for the fourth time this week and posted a 67. They were one shot behind.

Jon Rahm, three over through his opening eight holes of this World Golf Championship, started the third round 10 shots out of the lead and wound up in the penultimate group, four shots behind. He opened with six birdies in seven holes, made a hole in one on the 17th and shot a shot 10under 61 to break the course record and his own best as a pro.

“I’ve been close a couple of times,” Thomas said. “I definitely feel like I have a little bit of unfinished business here. There’s a lot of great players that are going to be breathing down Patrick and I and everybody’s necks. I know I need to play well tomorrow. But I know I want it.”

Six players were within four shots of the lead. That group included Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau, both of whom lost ground, one more than other.

McIlroy was one shot behind when he ripped a 410yard drive in the altitude of Mexico City to 30 feet on the par-four 12th. But he missed a six-foot par putt on the 14th and didn’t make a birdie coming in. That gave him a 68.

DeChambeau led by three early in the round and still was tied on the back nine when he made three bogeys over the last five holes — one of his pars was a threeputt on the par-five 15th — and had to settle for a 71.

Rahm was dynamic as ever. Four of his six birdies at the start were inside four feet. He added three birdies on the back nine and then his gap wedge on the parthree 17th took one big hop and disappeared into the cup for an ace.

“With the start I had today, the only thing in mind was trying to get as close as possible to the leaders,” Rahm said. “I’m just really happy that after the first two days I’m going to have a legitimate chance tomorrow without needing to shoot 59 or something like that.”

Thomas was the 54-hole leader in 2017, the first year in Mexico City, only to shoot 72 in the final round as Dustin Johnson pulled away to win. The following year, Thomas holed out for eagle on the 72nd hole, which got him into a playoff. Phil Mickelson beat him with a par on the first extra hole.

Even last year, when he was out of the mix, he set the course record with a 62.

Rookie Hovland leads in Puerto Rico

PGA Tour rookie Viktor Hovland shot an eightunder 64 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the windy Puerto Rico Open at Rio Grande.

“Hopefully, I just continue doing what I have been doing the first three days,” Hovland said.

The 22-year-old Norwegian starred at Oklahoma State, winning the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach, then sweeping low amateur honors at the Masters and U.S. Open. He birdied all four par-fives at Coco Beach, the last on the 18th for a back-nine 31 and 18-under 198 total.

Martin Laird was second after a 63. He eagled the parfive second and par-four 10th, holing out with a wedge on No. 10.