Three players lead after three rounds. None of them has led often after four. One has two victories, one has one, and one has none. Each will look to make history, though it hasn’t frequently been on their side. Here are three things you should know after Saturday’s third round at the Safeway Open at Silverado Resort and Spa North in Napa, Calif., the first event of the PGA Tour’s new season.
Three players are tied for the lead
James Hahn won the 2016 Wells Fargo Championship and the 2015 Northern Trust Open. Brian Stuard won the 2016 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Cameron Percy has never won on the PGA Tour. Each is 18 holes away from victory.
Stuard shot a 6-under 66, Hahn a 5-under 67 and Percy a 4-under 68 to sit at 16-under overall and share a one-stroke lead over three other players.
Stuard and Hahn played bogey-free, while Percy made six birdies and two bogeys.
“It would mean the world to me,” Percy said of winning. “Yeah, it would be fantastic. It would mean I get to go to Augusta, which is a goal. I’ve never been to Augusta, which is the biggest goal you have when you come over here. I just thought I’d get there, I haven’t got there yet, so it’s a big deal.”
29 golfers are five shots behind or better
A whopping 29 golfers are five shots behind or better.
Kristoffer Ventura, Sam Burns and Harry Higgs are at 15-under and one shot back. Emiliano Grillo, Stewart Cink, Doug Ghim, D.J. Trahan and Russell Knox are at 14-under and two shots back.
Six golfers are at 13-under, 11 golfers are at 12-under, and four golfers are 11-under.
Phil Mickelson is eight strokes back
The most decorated player in the field believes he played his worst round in the past quarter-year.
Phil Mickelson shot a 2-under and is at 8-under overall, eight shots behind the leaders.
It could have been a lot better, he said.
“This is the worst I’ve played in the last three months,” Mickelson said.
“And it’s deceptive because I didn’t make a bogey, but I didn’t drive it well, I didn’t chip it well and I didn’t putt well,” he continued. “I turned a 64 into a 70, and I’ve got some work to do. But heading into this week or the last three, four weeks, I was playing really well, so hopefully it’s not far away.”
