Lucas Glover shot 4-under 66. He has the 54-hole lead within the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He has made solely two bogeys going into the ultimate spherical. Such is the state of his sport that he stated he wanted time to consider all of the issues that went proper Saturday.
“Scrappy can be how I’d describe that day — components of it you could possibly take away the ‘s.’ I bought quite a bit out of what I had,” Glover stated after constructing a 1-shot lead over Taylor Moore.
Glover is steeped in frequent sense, nonetheless, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than he might snigger at his mind-set.
“Three months in the past if I might have been mad at 66 — or in case you informed me I might be mad at 66 — I might say you have been loopy,” he stated.
Glover bought sufficient out of his spherical to remain in entrance at steamy TPC Southwind. The irritation got here from two quick birdie probabilities he missed during the last three holes, a 4-footer on the par-5 sixteenth and a sharp-breaking 6-footer on the 18th.
Even so, it was his sixth rating of 66 or decrease in his previous seven rounds — and eleventh of his previous 19 — and it put him at 14-under 196 as the person to catch Sunday.
And there are loads lined up for that probability.
Moore, who gained his first PGA Tour title this yr on the Valspar Championship, bogeyed his final gap for a 65 and can play within the remaining group.
Tommy Fleetwood ran off three late birdies for a 66 that left him 2 pictures behind as he goes for his first win on American soil. Max Homa (65) and Jordan Spieth (68) have been 3 again.
“I like how I am enjoying,” Homa stated. “I am unable to do a complete lot greater than what I have been doing. I performed three actually strong rounds. Clearly, left some on the market, like everyone has. I am simply going to maintain doing it and see what comes of tomorrow.”
Glover was No. 112 within the FedEx Cup standings per week in the past when he gained the Wyndham Championship for his first title in two years. That moved him to No. 49 — simply among the many high 70 who certified for the PGA Tour’s postseason — and now he has an opportunity to wrap up a spot within the high 30 for the FedEx Cup finale relying on Sunday.
“I am in a great place,” Glover stated. “Simply iron a number of issues out and get up tomorrow a bit extra assured than I’m proper now and see the place we’re.”
Whereas Glover has a slim lead, he a minimum of created a bit separation. There have been 16 gamers inside 4 pictures of the lead in the beginning of one other steamy day in Memphis. Now, solely 4 gamers are inside 3 pictures.
Rory McIlroy (68) and Patrick Cantlay (66) have been within the giant group at 9-under 201, simply 5 pictures again. McIlroy determined to chop an inch off a brand new putter he’s utilizing this week and it helped a bit, however not sufficient to offset 4 bogeys that held him again.
“Total I really feel like I’ve form of been caught in impartial a bit bit this week, and I am nonetheless in an honest place,” McIlroy stated. “5 again going into tomorrow, I really feel like I might catch hearth and hopefully make a run.”
Glover’s massive run did not come out of the blue. Since he went to the lengthy putter on the Memorial, he has been trending. He had three straight finishes within the high six, took per week off and missed a reduce in his return, after which gained the Wyndham Championship and is enjoying with confidence.
And he stays at his self-deprecating greatest, comparable to describing how he chipped in for birdie on the opening gap.
“That was a brutal shot. I had 98 yards within the fairway, downwind, with a entrance pin with a backstop,” he stated. “In your guys’ world, I misspelled ‘the.’ … I chunked a wedge, however I made up for it in fairly flashy trend.”
After which he rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 2 that he made look simple and after his lone bogey of the bottom, holed an 8-foot birdie on the sixth.
However his expectations are such that every one he might take into consideration when he completed have been the 2 birdie probabilities he let get away from him. This can be a product of outstanding type, sparked by his putter change that has revived the profession for a 43-year-old former U.S. Open champion.
For now, the purpose for therefore many is just attending to Chicago subsequent week. Hideki Matsuyama at No. 57 wasted an excellent begin. He shot 30 on the entrance 9, solely to comply with with a 40. All that work changed into a spherical of even par and no floor made up.
Mackenzie Hughes of Canada was in good condition till a 75 on Saturday, which initiatives him simply exterior the highest 50 going into the ultimate spherical. The highest 50 is essential as a result of these gamers are assured spots in all of the $20 million signature occasions subsequent yr.
Nearer to the highest, Glover figures to have his fingers full.
“I feel the primary 9 holes is simply pedal to the steel as a result of they’re coming,” he stated. “Greatest gamers on the earth are proper behind me.”
