Washington (AFP) – South Africa’s 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter birdied six of the first eight holes and seized a two-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the US PGA Tour’s Rocket Classic. Potgieter, seeking his first PGA title in only his 20th tour start, reeled off five birdies in a row on the way to firing a bogey-free seven-under par 65 to stand on 19-under 197 after 54 holes at Detroit Golf Club.
“Being in contention is great,” Potgieter said. “We’re looking forward to tomorrow and maybe trying to just keep the ball in front, what we did today, hit a little bit more fairways and greens and if that putter just stays hot it will be good.”
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Americans Max Greyserman, Chris Kirk, Andrew Putnam, Jake Knapp, and Mark Hubbard shared second on 199 with South African Thriston Lawrence and Americans Michael Thorbjornsen and Jackson Suber on 200.
“I just played really solid. Hit it really good. Gave myself a lot of chances,” Knapp said. “With how bunched as this leaderboard is…you have to try to make as many birdies as you can.”
Potgieter, who managed his best PGA finish with a Mexico Open playoff loss to American Brian Campbell in February, began the day two adrift in a shootout. The last group teed off with seven players sharing the lead on 14-under and 12 more only one stroke adrift.
Potgieter took command early, blasting out of a bunker from 35 feet for birdie at the first, then started his birdie run with a putt from just inside eight feet at the fourth. He followed with a 33-foot birdie putt at the par-three fifth, dropped his approach inches from the hole at six to set up a tap-in birdie, sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-five seventh, and made an 11-foot birdie putt at the eighth to reach 18-under with a three-stroke lead.
Suber made back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th to reach 17-under and climb within one of the lead, but he fell back with a bogey at 12. Potgieter, meanwhile, sank a birdie putt from just outside six feet at 13 to reach 19-under and restore a three-stroke edge.
Knapp, who broke Potgieter’s day-old course record of 62 with a 61 on Thursday, birdied the last three holes to shoot 66 and swipe a share of second. “I definitely thought I could get that course record back today with that six-under front nine,” Potgieter said. “I was definitely trying to chase that course record again.”
Davis Thompson’s 66 to finish on 202 was the first PGA round since 2020 to feature three front-nine eagles. He made three in the first eight, starting with an 80-yard hole-out from the fairway at the opening hole. He followed with a 37-foot eagle putt at the par-five seventh and drove the green at the par-four eighth to set up a seven-foot eagle putt.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had that,” Thompson said. “I’ve had three eagles in a round before, but I haven’t had it all in nine holes.”
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