MIAMI (AFP) – Collin Morikawa, in search of a victory to turn out to be world primary, fired an eight-under par 64 to grab a five-stroke lead after Saturday’s (Dec 4) third spherical of the Hero World Problem.
The 24-year-old American made six birdies and an eagle chip-in to face on 18-under 198 after 54 holes within the 20-man invitational hosted by Tiger Woods on the Albany resort within the Bahamas.
4-time main winner Brooks Koepka, ranked sixteenth, shot 69 to face second on 203 and be a part of the reigning British Open champion in Sunday’s final pairing.
A 3rd-place pack on 204 included Norway’s Viktor Hovland and Individuals Patrick Reed, Daniel Berger, Sam Burns and Tony Finau with Scottie Scheffler on 205 and fellow American Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open winner, on 206.
Morikawa, who additionally received a serious title on the 2020 PGA Championship, captured final month’s DP World Tour Championship, turning into the primary American to win the Race to Dubai.
Second-ranked Morikawa, who bought engaged earlier within the week, can overtake Spain’s Jon Rahm to succeed in the highest of the rankings for the primary time if he stays on prime for an additional 18 holes.
Morikawa chipped in for eagle on the par-5 third and birdied the fourth however missed a four-foot birdie putt on the par-4 seventh.
He escaped a bunkered tee shot to birdie the par-5 ninth and seize the lead alone on the flip at 14-under.
Morikawa rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt on the par-4 tenth and adopted with a four-foot birdie putt on the par-5 eleventh for a three-stroke lead at 16-under.
Morikawa added birdies on the 14th and par-5 fifteenth – giving him three birdies and an eagle on the par-5s Saturday.
At 18, Morikawa blasted out of a greenside bunker to a few ft and saved par to cap solely the fourth bogey-free spherical of the week.
Burns was 4 adrift earlier than a closing double bogey whereas Finau and Berger had been 5 again earlier than making bogeys at 18.