LA QUINTA, Calif. — Jon Rahm received off to a scorching begin and shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday on PGA West’s Stadium Course for a share of the lead with tour rookie Davis Thompson in The American Specific.
Thompson’s run of eagles within the Southern California desert lastly ended because the 23-year-old carded a 67, additionally on the Stadium Course, to settle right into a tie with Rahm at 23-under 193. Thompson, who had 5 eagles in main by way of the primary two rounds, simply missed a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that will have given him a 1-stroke lead.
Rahm, the world’s fourth-ranked participant and the winner at Kapalua two weeks in the past, and Thompson will make up the ultimate group Sunday on the Stadium Course, which was one in every of three programs that hosted the primary three rounds.
J.T. Poston and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who shot a 10-under 62 on the Nicklaus Match Course, had been 4 strokes behind the leaders. Tom Kim, Harry Higgs, Sam Burns and Taylor Montgomery had been one other stroke again at 18 below.
“Nothing however optimistic,” mentioned Rahm, who can be enjoying for his ninth tour victory. “Ball-striking felt superb. Hit loads of nice photographs on the market off the tee. Giving myself loads of alternatives with the irons. Took benefit of fairly just a few of them. So, very assured going into tomorrow and understanding that I’ll must shoot one other low rating if I need to have an opportunity to win.”
Rahm got here into Saturday trailing Thompson by 2 strokes. He teed off seven teams forward of Thompson and took the lead with a blistering entrance 9 that included 4 birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fifth. The Spanish star cooled off on the again 9 with simply two birdies and a three-putt bogey on par-3 seventeenth that lower his result in 1, earlier than ending his spherical with a par.
Thompson birdied No. 12 to tie Rahm however then missed a brief putt to bogey 14. He birdied the par-5 sixteenth to tie Rahm.
“It is nice,” Thompson mentioned. “I really feel like I haven’t got something to lose in my rookie yr. Simply sort of freewheel it. However I am excited to play with Jon. He is clearly a top-5 participant on this planet. He is excellent. However I am excited concerning the problem and simply wanting ahead to tomorrow.”
Thompson had 4 birdies on the entrance 9.
“I felt like I stayed affected person all day and made some putts,” he mentioned. “Bought off to an amazing begin, which at all times helps. Up-and-downs on 5 and 6 had been big for me simply retaining the momentum going. I used to be actually proud with how I stayed affected person. Did not actually power something. Made a nasty bogey on 14 however got here again and birdied 16. So, it was a great way to complete.”
The sector contains 5 of the highest seven gamers on this planet and 10 of the highest 20.
Second-ranked Scottie Scheffler was in a bunch of six at 17 below that included Dylan Wu, who had six straight birdies on his first 9 in his spherical of 11-under 61 on the Nicklaus course.
Sixth-ranked Xander Schauffele was in a bunch of 5 at 15 below that additionally included Tony Finau and Jason Day. No. 5 Patrick Cantlay and No. 7 Will Zalatoris had been 11 below.