Thomas keeps magnificent card for 2-shot lead at Muirfield Village

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Justin Thomas by no intention gave the impact to be in a trot.

No longer when he stepped to the first tee Friday trailing by 13 shots. No longer when he turned into as soon as simply attempting to take hang of up with Collin Morikawa on Saturday within the Workday Charity Originate.

And after turning a 3-shot deficit into a two-shot lead with one other magnificent card, he indubitably didn’t behold any contain to trot to the procure at Muirfield Village as he goes after his third victory this season.

”Honest going to take hang of attempting to hit the fairways and hit the greens and manufacture as many birdies as I will be able to,” he talked about.

That is been the philosophy all week, and along the model, he has managed to take hang of bogeys off his card. There were a few dicey moments, comparable to a pair of two-putt pars from over 50 ft, and a shot that stuck within the grass high on the lip of a bunker on par-3 12th.

Otherwise, or no longer it’s been a clinic.

Thomas had three straight birdies to end in differ of Morikawa. And when Morikawa fell assist with three bogeys over a four-gap stretch right by the flip, Thomas made environment friendly birdies on the par 5s and a honest birdie on the reachable 14th for a 6-under 66 to take hang of two ahead of Viktor Hovland (66).

After a soft chip to tap-in differ on the par-5 fifth, Thomas walked halfway up the hill within the assist of the inexperienced and plopped down within the grass, leaning assist on his palms, worthy like a spectator at a tournament that has none.

Too injurious there couldn’t be any fans Sunday, a closing round that provides one other search of the contemporary generation.

Thomas is the proven necessary individual, already a predominant champion and dilapidated world No. 1 at age 27 as he goes after his third victory this season and the 13th victory of his career.

Hovland and Morikawa had upright left faculty at the present closing 365 days and already contain victories, albeit the reverse-field diversity the same week as World Golf Championships.

Hovland, the dilapidated U.S. Newbie champion from Norway, had eight birdies in his round of 66. Morikawa, who by no intention looks to be like as though he’ll manufacture a mistake, had satisfactory of them that he wished a birdie on his closing gap for a 72.

Thanks to an early originate to lead definite of storms, they’ll be i the closing neighborhood. Thomas figures it couldn’t be the closing time they all play collectively.

”It will likely be enjoyable to hang with these guys the next day, but at the discontinuance of the day I am jumpy about myself and attempting to take hang of a golf tournament and contain a supreme round,” he talked about.

Thomas turned into as soon as at 16-under 200.

Morikawa had the lead for 31 straight holes, dating to the 15th gap within the gap round, unless missing the ninth inexperienced with a rapid iron, hitting a wild tee shot on the 10th that ended in bogey, and sending his tee shot on the par-3 12th neatly over the inexperienced in such a injurious inform that even making bogey turned into as soon as exhausting work.

”I set apart myself in spots you couldn’t set apart your self in,” Morikawa talked about. ”Couldn’t in level of truth figure out wind instructions, how worthy to regulate. However whole contemporary day the next day, and further or less delighted I fought it out by even par got myself three assist. In express that can substitute in level of truth rapid the next day.”

Hovland, who won the Puerto Rico Originate this 365 days, got assist within the sport rapid by opening with a pair of birdies at the originate and making birdie on the total par 5s. He also took on the 14th gap, the set apart the tees contain been moved up for this tournament to play at 310 yards – reachable from the tee, but with bunkers left and water to the upright. He hit his tee shot to 30 ft for a two-putt birdie.

Hovand turned into as soon as happy to be on this location, especially with how his week started. He turned into as soon as 3 over by 10 holes on Thursday and carried out with six birdies over his closing eight holes. He followed with rounds of 67-66.

The finest shock turned into as soon as M.J. Daffue, a 31-365 days-feeble from South Africa who performed faculty golf at Lamar and has been struggling to manufacture it as a well informed. He turned into as soon as a Monday qualifier for the Workday Charity Originate, coming into into very perfect his 2nd PGA Tour tournament. He had to birdie his closing gap Saturday morning to manufacture the decrease. After which he made an 18-foot eagle putt late in his round of 65, the most effective gain Saturday. He turned into as soon as seven shots within the assist of.

”There turned into as soon as instances right now the set apart I had to grind out a par and my caddie saved telling me we were one swing away from no longer having a grind the least bit,” Daffue talked about. ”Or no longer it’s been quite loopy.”

He turned into as soon as seven shots within the assist of and loving every minute of his time right by the route Jack Nicklaus constructed.

The tour needs this tournament to discontinuance sooner than the weather. The route is to be closed on Monday to interchange the total signage and accumulate away the 10 electronic scoreboards for the Memorial.

Or no longer it’s the first time in 63 years the PGA Tour has had assist-to-assist tournaments on the same route.