The third round of the PGA’s Sanderson Farms Championship got underway on Saturday as calm winds made for prime conditions for red digits with Waterford’s Séamus Power taking full advantage to post a five-under-par 67, his lowest round of the week so far.
Power came into moving day on the back of a solid four-under round two and the 38-year-old carried his confidence into round three, making seven birdies.
It did take a moment for Power to settle in after a wayward tee shot on the first led to a bogey before he responded with a birdie on the fifth.
A three-putt bogey came on the par-3 seventh but that was the last error that Power would make as he went on a birdie run all the way back to the clubhouse.
Back-to-back birdies came at the eighth and ninth to see him one-under at the turn. From there, Power was automatic off the tee, making three birdies in a row on the 11th, 12th and 13th.
Power will be disappointed not to birdie the par-5 14th, but he responded well to drive the green at 16 and make birdie. Power’s third-round 67 takes his tally to nine-under, heading into Sunday’s final round in T29.
Power will need to emulate this form in the final round if he is to compete amongst the top and earn the points he needs to break into the top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings.
Also posting a five-under 67 was current two-stroke leader Garrick Higgo as the South African came flying out of the gates with quick fire birdies on the first and second holes.
“I’m going to play as if I’m behind tomorrow and be as aggressive as I can be and make as many birdies as I can,” Higgo said.
The South African player has fought through a labrum injury after winning an opposite-field event in the Dominican Republic the week after the Masters.
The 26-year-old continued to push, making birdies on the ninth, 11th and 12th, before adding two more on holes 14 and 15 to sit two-shots ahead of the pack at 18-under.
“I’d say it was quite a good fight,” Higgo said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I mean, it’s never easy. Golf never really goes your way. I just stayed patient and tried to put good swings on it and tried to roll the ball as good as I can.”
“I seem to be playing well,” Higgo said. “I think all of us always try and stay patient. Some weeks it’s easier than other weeks.”
Two strokes behind Higgo and in a tie for second place are Steven Fisk and Danny Walker on 16-under-par.
“Just more play like I’ve done the last three days,” Walker said. “It’s hard to say with what Garrick does. He could run away. Nothing I can do about that. If I just keep playing like I am and maybe have one or two less mistakes, I think that would take care of it.”
Walker sits 104th in the FedEx Cup standings while Fisk is 134th.
“Just really in control of the driver and hit a bunch of fairways,” Fisk said. “Just tried to kind of pick my spots and where I can be aggressive and where I just kind of need to play for par.”
Taylor Montgomery occupies solo fourth place on 15-under, with Matt Kuchar, Frankie Capan III and Vince Whaley share T5 on 14-under.
The fourth and final round is set to begin at 12:55pm Irish time, with Power taking to the tee box at 3:55pm.
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