Desert golf is normally low-scoring golf. The fairways are tough and fast, the winds aren't too awful, and the heat makes the ball fly. (Plus, in case you've were given tight muscular tissues, it can loosen the ones up as nicely.) But on Saturday some gamers simply went crazy low.
Over in Dubai, after struggling for a couple of days, Phil Mickelson teed off quite a while before the leaders... and calmly shot a 9-under 63 to take the tournament lead at -10. You heard me right -- not to catch up, but to TAKE the lead. And for a long time it looked as if no one was going to catch him. Gaganjeet Bhullar (66) finally caught up to him and Craig Lee (69) got it to -12. The three of them will be in the final group on Sunday.
A quick note on Phil's round: He only had 22 putts! He was making the short game look ridiculously easy. He finished with 9 birdies, an eagle, and 2 bogeys.
Rory became a chunk of an enigma. He began slow, then got it to -11 handiest to find that he had a 2-shot penalty for an wrong drop. (He had his foot on the road marking ground beneath restore, so he become deemed "no longer to have taken full remedy.") He's nonetheless gambling nicely, and he's nevertheless were given a danger to win -- he's only three pictures off the lead and may be within the 2d-to-final group -- however he really wasn't happy about what he known as "a stupid rule." (I accept as true with him; I assume a variety of golfing policies are stupid. But a rule's a rule.)
I do not know if Phil gets it carried out these days, however you have to like his probabilities if his putter stays warm.
Back inside the American barren region, Patrick Reed shot his third directly 63. He obliterated the fifty four-hole scoring document along with his -27 total and now has a 7-shot lead on Charley Hoffman and Brendon Todd.
Nobody's ever misplaced with that form of lead once they went that low. (In case you did not understand, there are 3 players who have shot -25 for fifty four holes and 3 more who have shot -24.) Nick Faldo referred to that Patrick deserves some credit score for going so low when he wasn't surrounded by means of the crowds to hold him "overrated." But I don't suppose it is so surprising -- recall, Patrick Monday-certified for 6 tournaments in 2012 before he were given his Tour card. In truth, he stated he might technique the final spherical as though it turned into a Monday qualifier, as if each person changed into beginning even and having to shoot as low as feasible.
I without a doubt like his probabilities to win Sunday, despite the fact that he's going to should do it with the crowds looking. After all, he got his first win last season in a playoff towards Jordan Spieth. Between that and the Monday qualifying, he virtually knows the way to address pressure.
I should also note that Bernhard Langer went low in Hawaii to tie the lead there with Fred Couples. It was only a 64 but, given his thumb injury, that's not too shabby either.
Don't you wish YOU may want to have a 63 type of day?
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