It’s time for the final round in Mexico.
During the third round of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, there was plenty of action, including a pair of aces and another near one on a par 4. Last week’s winner made a big jump on the leaderboard. However, the name at the top remains the same as it was when play began Saturday.
Collin Morikawa, who admitted before the tournament he’s trying to find his form, had his second straight round in red figures, and the first putting coach of his career may be to thank.
Here are some takeaways from the third round at El Cameleon Golf Course at Mayakoba in Mexico.
How Russell Henley built his big lead
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, there have been seven opening 36-hole scores of 126 or better on Tour. Russell Henley has recorded three of them, including at Mayakoba this week. He had a three-shot lead after the second round, and he grew that margin on moving day.
Henley sits at 22 under and owns a six-shot advantage with 18 holes to play in Mexico. His lead is the first of five shots or more after 54 holes on Tour since Billy Horschel led by five shots at the Memorial Tournament earlier this year.
In those previous two instances of shooting 126 or better in the opening two rounds, Henley hasn’t been able to capitalize with wins in either. Come Sunday, it’s safe to say he’s going to try to buck that trend.
Russell Henley leads the World Wide Technology Championship by six strokes at 22-under 191.
Henley’s score of 191 is the 18th 54-hole total of 191 or better in PGA TOUR history. All 17 of the previous instances were converted to victory. pic.twitter.com/aZMDfLkDWv
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) November 5, 2022
“Out here you’ve got to keep attacking,” Henley said. “Everybody’s so good and everybody can go low, so it’s a tough game out here.”
Henley has three wins during his PGA Tour career but none since the 2017 Houston Open. The trophy is his for the taking come Sunday.
Henley said he has never had a lead like this, so will he be watching the leaderboard come Sunday?
“I might take a glance here or there, but it doesn’t really change my game plan,” Henley said.
Gordon remaining close
Will Gordon led after the first round when he fired a 62. He followed that up with a 67 on Friday, and Saturday continued his strong play. Gordon shot 3-under 68 and sits T-2 with 18 holes to play in search of his first PGA Tour win.
Sure, Henley’s lead is big enough that if Gordon or any chaser was going to come from behind, they would likely need some help from Henley, but Gordon has shown he can go low, and that’s something he’ll need to conjure up Sunday.
Gordon’s third round was rocky to start with a bogey, but he rebounded to shoot 1 under on the front. He then had three straight birdies on Nos. 11-13. He bogeyed the 18th hole and sits at 16 under, tied with Patton Kizzire.
Kizzire shot 4 under on moving day. He also bogeyed the first hole but then birdied five of his next six holes. He had a pair of birdies and bogeys on the back nine.
Power up
Seamus Power is on a hot streak.
He hung on last week in Bermuda to pick up his second PGA Tour victory. Come Sunday, he’ll again be near the top of the leaderboard.
Power doesn’t lead, but he shot a 8-under 63 on moving day to shoot up the leaderboard. His round included four birdies, an eagle and an ace, one of two on the day. He’s at 15 under after 54 holes, which is good for solo fourth.
🚨 Ace alert ++ 🚨@Power4Seamus has a hole-in-one AND 2 hole-outs today 👀 pic.twitter.com/IUaGndGcf6
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 5, 2022
His ace came on the 138-yard par-3 eighth. His eagle was a hole out from 111 yards on the par-4 11th, but Power also holed a greenside bunker shot for birdie at the 14th hole.
“I actually feel great after last week,” Power said. “You know, I think sometimes it’s easy to overplay as a player. I think the thing that’s helping me right now is I took five weeks off after the playoffs finished in Delaware. It was a long summer, I needed to get the energy levels and kind of — you just like the fun of the game back in there. I did that and I feel like I’m in a great spot right now.”
So close to history
Joel Dahmen came oh-so-close to history.
He nearly became the second person ever on the PGA Tour to make an ace on a par 4. The feat happened on the 17th, which was playing as a 300-yard hole in the third round.
The group in front waved Dahmen up to go ahead and hit his tee shot. And, well, they were surely impressed.
NO WAY!!@Joel_Dahmen came THIS close to making just the second ever hole-in-one on a par 4 in TOUR history. pic.twitter.com/xGQ5QvPaSd
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 5, 2022
Dahmen sits at 12 under heading to Sunday following a 5-under 66 during the third round. He played his final three holes in 4 under.
Hovland's three-peat dreams close to being over
Viktor Hovland came into the week looking to become the first golfer on Tour since Steve Stricker in 2009-11 to win an event three straight years.
And although Hovland, who has played well through the first three days, remains near the top of the leaderboard, his chance of a three-peat is likely a pipe dream.
Hovland shot 5 under in the third round and is at 13 under for the week, tied for seventh, but sits nine strokes back of Henley with 18 holes to play. He’s not counting himself out, though.
“Overall like I’m playing really consistent, but missing way too many putts even though I did make some putts today,” Hovland said. “Just missing way too many putts today and yesterday. At least it’s nice to feel like the ball striking’s back to where it should be, and I feel like I can take it low tomorrow.”
