The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thomas, Rahmset for final-round showdown
THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.— With one good break and two good putts, Justin Thomas felt much better about his round of 5-under 67 on Saturday that gave him a one-shot lead over Jon Rahm in the Zozo Championship at Sherwood.
Thomas, whotrailedbyasmany as two shots on the back nine, hit driver on the par-5 16th that clanged off a sycamore tree and dropped into the rough instead of the creek. He holed a 10-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead, and followedwith a 30-foot birdie putt up the slope on the par-3 17th.
Rahmfinished some two hours earlier with a 63, which he figured at leastwould get him close to the lead and nearly kept him at the top until Thomas finished strong.
Lanto Griffin was leading the Nos. 2 and 3 players in theworld untilmaking two bogeys over the last four holes, one in the water on the par-3 15th, the other by going rough-to-rough on the closing hole.
Thomaswas at 19-under 197 in another week of low scoring on the PGA Tour, at least for most players. It was another grind for
Tiger Woods, the Zozo Championship winner last year in Japan, who could only manage a 71.
Thatled towhatfigures tobethe greatest illustration of the strange times brought on by the COVID19 pandemic. Woods will be playing the final round with Phil Mickelson, the top two attractions in golf, and there won’t be any fans on the course to watch them.
Mickelson opened with seven birdies in eight holes, and played the rest of theway 2 over for a 67.
It will be the ninth time they play together in the final round on the PGA Tour, and the first time they have no bearing on the outcome. Theywere 16 shots out of the lead. The first time they played together on a Sunday was at the 1997 PGA Championship when they were eight shots behind and each shot 75,
The other end of scoring is plenty compelling.
Thomasis going forhis thirdvictory this year. Rahmcan return to No. 1 in theworld. Griffinis equally intriguing. He won his first PGA Tour title last year inHouston and showed for somuch of Saturday that he doesn’t get caught up in much. Plus, his putting stroke has been pure all week.
Griffinopenedwithfourstraight birdies to take the lead, and he stayed there until the end of the round. Hewent to 19 under with a 15-foot birdie on the 14th hole when his tee shot took on the flag at the 15th and drifted too far right and into the hazard.
Instead of going to the drop zone, hewent to a different set of tees that allowed for a full swing and better control, dropped that wedge into 20 feet and made the putt to escape with bogey.
Thomas was playing well enough, even if he had little to showfor it after openingwith two birdies. In trouble off the tee on the par-5 13th, he chose to drop on the cement cart path and hit a hard draw— without damaging his club — back into the fairway. But then he didn’t take advantage by hitting a mediocre wedge to the fringe to set up par.
And when Griffin holed his birdie putt on the 14th, Thomas missed badly fromjust inside him.
But it changed quickly with those two birdies on the 16th and 17th, and he was right back where he started the day.
Patrick Cantlay kept bogeys off his card for the third straight day. He and was three shots behind, along with SebastianMunoz and Ryan Palmer.