New York (AFP) – Cameron Young became the 12th player in US PGA Tour history to break 60 for a round on Saturday, but his 11-under 59 still left him chasing Travelers Championship leader Tom Kim.
Young had walked off the course with a share of the lead early in the third round at 13-under 197 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
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But South Korea’s Kim, who took a two-shot lead into the round, shook off a near three-hour rain delay to card a second straight 65, his 18-under total of 192 putting him one stroke in front of world number one Scottie Scheffler and Akshay Bhatia, who both carded 64s.
Kim shook off an early three-putt bogey, coming up with six birdies on the rain-softened course and salvaging par from a fairway bunker at 18 as darkness fell to keep his nose in front.
Scheffler, who won his second Masters title in April had two bogeys after the weather delay, but closed with four straight birdies to put himself in the hunt.
“I was pretty frustrated after that bogey on 14,” Scheffler said. “Felt like I was putting myself out of the tournament. So it was nice to bounce back and finish it the way I did.”
Bhatia a two-time PGA tour winner, rolled in a 26-foot birdie putt at 18 for his share of second.
Xander Schauffele carded a 63 to share fourth on 194 with South Korean Im Sung-jae.
Collin Morikawa was a further stroke back on 195 and another three players were tied on 196.
Kim said staying in front in what promises to be a Sunday shootout would be “all about just execution. I’m going to go out tomorrow with the same game plan and try to do the things that I’ve been doing and if it’s good enough, it’s great, but if someone’s better than that, I can’t do anything about it.”
– 59 ‘pretty cool’ –
Young, runner-up at the 2022 British Open, was five shots off the pace after seven birdies and two eagles.
“It’s certainly pretty cool,” Young said. “It’s fun to have your name on a list that short.”
But, he said, he’ll “pretty much try to forget it” on Sunday as he pursues a first US PGA Tour title.
Young’s round was the PGA Tour’s first 59 since Scheffler shot 59 at TPC Boston in the 2020 St.Jude Championship.
He got things going early with birdies at the first and second, then holed out from 142 yards in the fairway for an eagle at the par-four third.
He followed a 19-foot birdie at the fourth with birdies at the eighth and ninth, two putted for birdie at the par-five 13th then eagled the par-four 15th, where his tee shot bounced short of the green and rolled up to leave him a four-foot putt.
He missed a birdie chance at 16 but drilled a five-footer at 17. He preserved his sub-60 round with a testing par putt from outside nine feet at the last.
Young said he knew by the time he made the turn his round was “just, like, really good. I didn’t think about it too much kind of the middle of that back nine … Then all of a sudden I had a putt for 59 on 18 which was a blast.”
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