Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Sepp Straka rode a hot start to an eight-under-par 64 on Saturday to seize a four-shot lead over a trio of players heading into the final round of the US PGA Tour American Express tournament in La Quinta, California. Austria’s Straka, chasing a third US tour title, had a 23-under-par total of 193, with Australia’s former world number one Jason Day, US veteran Charley Hoffman, and Justin Lower his nearest rivals on 197.
Straka teed off on 10 on the La Quinta course, one of three in use over the first three rounds, and piled up six birdies in his first nine holes. He drilled a long birdie putt at the 18th to make the turn with a three-shot lead and after missing birdie attempts from inside six feet at both the third and fourth, he birdied the fifth and sixth — both short par-fives — to push his lead to four. Straka has yet to make a bogey this week in the California desert near Palm Springs, saving par at his final hole Saturday after pulling his tee shot left.
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“It’s one of those great holes out here at LaQuinta where it kind of pinches in, and the further up you try to push it, the tighter it gets,” Straka said. “I tried to hit a three-wood down there and just pulled it a hair, and, yeah, didn’t really have anything from there. Hit a pretty good shot just to get it 10 yards short of the green, hit a really nice wedge shot in there, so that was nice to see to finish the day.”
Day, overnight co-leader Hoffman, and Lower all played the tougher Stadium Course, which will host the final round on Sunday. Day climbed the leaderboard with a five-under par 67, Hoffman posted a 69, and Lower — who had claimed solo second before a bogey at his penultimate hole — carded a 68. “It’s a very fun leaderboard to look at,” Straka said as he looked ahead to the final round.
Day, 37, has 13 PGA Tour titles, including the 2015 PGA Championship title. Hoffman, 48, won the first of his four titles at this event back in 2007, and Lower is seeking his first tour crown.
No lead is safe – Day said recent work has seen “dramatic improvement” in his swing that he hopes will pay dividends this season as he pursues a first title since the 2023 Byron Nelson championship. World number 12 Patrick Cantlay carded an impressive six-under-par 66 on the Stadium Course to share fifth place on 198 with Mark Hubbard, who posted a 69 at La Quinta.
Despite his cushion, Straka said Sunday could still turn into a shootout. “I think Stadium is the type of course where no lead is safe,” he said, recalling he was five shots back to start the final round when he won his first title on “a very similar golf course. You’ve just got to keep hitting your spots, and you’ve really got to strike the ball well out there, so that’s really what I’m looking for tomorrow is just a good solid ball-striking round,” Straka said.
© 2024 AFP
