The third round of the 2019 RBC Heritage began a little later than expected on Saturday at Harbour Town as the final groups finished out their rain-delayed second rounds in the morning. But there would be no further delays on Moving Day, as multiple star players made big jumps up the leaderboard.
Here’s everything you missed from Saturday’s third round:
Shane Lowry loses grip on back nine
Shane Lowry came into Saturday with a two-shot lead, and early on it looked like he would maintain his cushion heading into the final round. Through nine holes, Lowry was three under on the day and remained on top of the leaderboard.
But on the back nine Lowry began to waver, leading to his first flaws of the day. Lowry made bogey at the par-4 13th after his drive found a fairway bunker. His ensuing approach shot caught the front greenside bunker, and he failed to get up and down. At the par-3 14th, Lowry rinsed his tee shot which resulted in another bogey, dropping him to 10 under for the tournament.
With his third bogey of the day two holes later at 16, Lowry’s lead had evaporated. Still, he trails by only one shot and will be in the mix come Sunday.
Dustin Johnson charges into lead
Starting the day just behind Lowry, it was all but certain Dustin Johnson would still be in the picture when the final putts dropped on Saturday. Not only is he firmly in the picture, he’s in the lead. The World No. 1 fired a three-under 68 in Round 3 to earn a one-shot lead heading into the final round.
Johnson’s advantage would be a lot more comfortable if not for a late stumble that almost cost him dearly. After taking over the top position with a trio of birdies on 13-15, DJ made back-to-back bogeys at 16 and 17, which dropped him back to 10 under and into a share of the lead with Lowry at the time.
Johnson is playing well this year, having already won the WGC-Mexico Championship in February, the 20th PGA Tour victory of his career.
Ian Poulter makes move
With Lowry and DJ battling for the lead much of the day, Ian Poulter quietly climbed into contention by way of his second-straight 67. That leaves the English firebrand at nine under, one shot off the lead and in great position for a come-from-behind victory at Harbour Town.
Poulter is fresh off a near-miss at the Masters, where he met disaster at Amen Corner and finished T12, five shots behind winner Tiger Woods.
Webb Simpson shoots round of the day
The lowest round on Saturday belongs to Webb Simpson. The 2012 U.S. Open champ shot a 32 on Harbour Town’s front nine Saturday on his way to a bogey-free, six-under 65. The stellar third round puts Simpson at six under and gives him and outside shot at making some noise in the final round.
Simpson has seen a return to form over the past year, especially in the majors. He finished T20 or better at all four majors in 2018 and opened 2019 with a T5 at Augusta National.
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