3 things you need to know after Round 3 of the Sanderson Farms Championship
Sergio Garcia is looking for his first win since 2017.
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We are officially through three rounds at the Sanderson Farms Championship, and the leaderboard is packed. Thirteen players sit within four shots of the lead, so Sunday is sure to be a shootout for the title in Jackson.
So what should we keep an eye on in the final round? Here are three things you need to know from Round 3.
Sergio Garcia has found his form
Sergio Garcia has struggled mightily since his 2017 Masters win, but you wouldn’t know it based on his play this week. Garcia followed up his back-to-back rounds of 68 with a 66 on Saturday and he’s in prime position to earn his 11th PGA Tour win on Sunday. His spectacular play on Saturday vaulted Garcia into a tie for the lead as he’ll play in the final pairing tomorrow.
If Garcia is able to get the victory on Sunday, he’ll have done it employing an unusual eyes-closed putting technique. The method was the talk of the day Friday, and it seems to be serving him well this week. So far, he’s got 17 birdies and just three bogeys. It might be unorthodox, but it seems to be working.
Cameron Davis was on fire
Cameron Davis was in the zone on Saturday. The Australian began his day with five straight birdies, and he continued that momentum throughout the rest of the day as he added two birdies and an eagle to shoot a nine-under 63. The round is career low on Tour and puts him in excellent position to chase his first career victory tomorrow.
“I was just in the groove,” Davis said. “I just hit a few really close, and it’s nice when you do it a few times in a row, and when the ball is rolling in with the putter, yeah, it’s nice to get on the train.”
Davis’ round was the low on the day as he vaulted himself from a tie for 24th into a share of the lead by day’s end. The round was also the lowest of the week so far. If he wants to nab that first title tomorrow, he’ll need to carry the momentum into the final pairing.
Clock strikes midnight for Cinderella
MJ Daffue came into the week without a spot in the field. He then fired 69 in the Monday qualifier and had to survive and eight-for-two playoff to earn his way into the championship. Daffue picked up where he left off on Thursday as he shot 65 and followed it with a 69 in Round 2. Going from a Monday qualifier to one of the final groups on the weekend is almost unheard of, but there he was.
Unfortunately for Daffue, the clock struck midnight on his Cinderella story in Round 3. Instead of the stellar play he showed in the first two rounds, Daffue was never able to get anything going on Saturday. He made two bogeys early and struggled to get many birdies to drop while he posted an even-par round of 72. The score dropped him into a tie for 11th and most likely out of contention come Sunday.
However, not all hope is lost for the journeyman. If he can finish in the top 10, he’ll earn himself a start in next week’s Shriners Hospital for Children’s Open. He surely would have preferred to be playing for a chance at earning a two-year exemption, but as a Monday qualifier, the opportunity to earn even one more start is a win.
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