SAN ANTONIO — Brian Harman survived 30 mph wind by enjoying the ultimate 13 holes with no bogey, giving him an even-par 72 and a three-shot lead in a Valero Texas Open so tough that solely six gamers managed to interrupt par.
Harman had his probability to affix them till narrowly lacking a 12-foot birdie try on the ultimate gap on the TPC San Antonio.
He was greater than happy to complete together with his first 54-hole lead since he received the British Open two years in the past at Royal Liverpool. That additionally was his final victory, and Harman has an amazing probability to finish that drought.
“Only a robust day, man,” Harman mentioned. “Whenever you get round this place and the wind blows and the pins are tucked, it is only a actually arduous day.”
He was at 12-under 204, three photographs away from Andrew Novak (69), with Tom Hoge (68) one other shot behind going into the ultimate spherical. Keith Mitchell had a 73 and was 5 behind. Mitchell and Novak have to win to get into the Masters subsequent week.
Novak is also in search of his first PGA Tour title, and he has a wall to thank for his probabilities.
He hit 5-iron nicely to the proper on the par-3 sixteenth gap. It hit the wall under the grandstands and bouncing into the tough and onto the inexperienced about 5 toes for a very unlikely birdie.
“Clearly, not an amazing shot, however I do know if it is over there, there’s some area, it may be OK,” Novak mentioned. “I did not anticipate it to chill and go on the inexperienced. That was clearly ridiculous. Not the most effective swing and typically golf rewards you.”
There weren’t many rewards on this present day, with a wind out of the wrong way. Nobody may attain two of the par 5s on the Oaks course, and the common rating was almost two photographs over par.
Harman was 2 over for his spherical when he made a pair of late birdies from the bunker, on the par-5 14th and the reachable par-4 seventeenth.
Mitchell additionally made birdie on these holes, which spoke to the problem of the wind and the again 9 and problem going through every thing.
“That (17) and 14 have been actually the one two birdie probabilities we had all day,” Mitchell mentioned. “All the things else you have been simply looking for a inexperienced, looking for a solution to simply cease the ball. Simply want I used to be a little bit nearer to Brian. He made two birdies coming in. Nonetheless obtained an opportunity.”
Hoge might need had probably the most outstanding spherical as a result of he did not put up a single bogey. He was within the second group to tee off and seen immediately it was going to a problem, not a lot the crackle of the flags however the arduous bounces on the inexperienced. Into the wind, or with the wind on the gamers’ again, it wasn’t simple to get something shut.
The wind got here out of an other way from the earlier two rounds.
“Simply tried to make as many pars as I may,” Hoge mentioned. “Even the downwind holes proper off the beginning on gap 1, I had a 56-degree wedge, I wasn’t certain I may hit the inexperienced with it as a result of it was bouncing that a lot once I did land the inexperienced.”
Mitchell obtained the bounce and roll good on the tenth gap when his ball stopped inches away for a simple birdie, and he holed a birdie putt from simply inside 10 toes on the twelfth. Hoge additionally birdied the 14th and seventeenth holes, the 2 best for scoring within the third spherical.
Solely three different holes performed underneath par.
Sam Ryder, who began with a 63, had eight 5s on his card and posted a 77 to go from enjoying within the closing group to being out of competition.
Patrick Cantlay ended the entrance 9 with a pair of bogeys, each occasions lacking par putts from 5 toes or nearer, and shot 74 to complete eight photographs behind. Jordan Spieth was within the group one other shot behind after a 73.
Harman may simply slid again to the pack as robust because it was on the entrance 9. He hit an amazing chip to a foot on the par-3 seventh, saved par from a bunker on the par-5 eighth and escaped with par on the ninth with a 6-foot putt.
“Simply leaning on my brief sport right this moment, chipped it in there shut a number of occasions,” Harman mentioned. “The stat sheet will not say it, however I made some strong par putts – 5-footers, 6-footers, 8-footers – that do not present up as fairly. However they certain maintain your spherical alive.”
