We saw a little bit of everything in Round 3 at the WGC-Mexico Championship on Saturday. Really, I mean everything. The wildest round on the PGA Tour in 2017 as an amalgamation of epic shots, insane recoveries and superstars surging like superstars do on moving day.
Dustin Johnson lost his ball in a tree (then somebody found it, but he had already played a penalty shot), Phil Mickelson had his ball stolen and found every bush on the course (he still shot 68), and Justin Thomas made an ace on a 225-yard par 3.
Oh yeah, and Jordan Spieth shot a course-record 63 that nearly got drowned out by everything else that was going on.
It was a crazy roller coaster of an afternoon, and it sets the table for an epic Sunday in Mexico that could see anyone in the top 10 win the tournament. The good news for us? The golfers currently in the top 10 are almost exclusively big names and playing as well as they have played all year.
Let’s take a look at what’s at stake on Sunday for five of the biggest favorites that currently top the leaderboard.
Justin Thomas (12 under, 1st)
After Thomas made that amazing ace in the middle of Round 3 to grab a share of the lead, he fell back slightly before surging to the finish line with a birdie-birdie-par-par finish.
“I’m very comfortable,” said Thomas of leading by one over an outrageously talented group. “The main thing is getting comfortable in my game. I had some great saves for par that saved my round.”
As for that hole-in-one? “It looked perfect. I said, ‘Go in?’ Might as well say it.” It sure did.
Thomas is looking for his fourth (!) win so far this season and the fifth of his career. This would be the biggest of them all, though, as he previously won two CIMB Classics, the Tournament of Champions and Sony Open. Odds (via Bovada): +250
4 wins in PGA Tour season before Masters since 1960:
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) March 4, 2017
'60 Palmer (Won Masters)
'74 Miller
'99 Duval@JustinThomas34 (3 wins) tied for lead.
Dustin Johnson (11 under, 2nd)
Johnson, who joined Thomas in shooting 66 on Saturday, caught a bad break on the 16th hole when he couldn’t find his approach shot, but he recovered with a lengthy bogey putt to salvage the end of his round. He has been oddly struggling off the tee (No. 28 in the field in strokes gained) but absolutely lights out in his approach shots (No. 1). “I feel like I’m hitting the ball really well,” Johnson told Steve Sands of NBC. “I’m rolling it well, too.”
For Johnson, this would be win No. 14 of his career, lock up his fourth WGC title and solidify his third multi-win season by the beginning of March. There have certainly been worse No. 1 golfers in the world. Odds: +200
Leader by 2 ... @DJohnsonPGA.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/2dvhn2AoVG
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 4, 2017
Rory McIlroy (10 under, T3)
Did McIlroy get his “bad” round out of the way on Saturday? He had to deal with Mickelson’s insanity all day on Saturday and came out of it with a 1-under 70. He made eight pars and a birdie on the back nine, didn’t give himself enough great looks and didn’t convert the ones he had. Still, with Mickelson making bogey on the final hole, McIlroy will play in the final group with Thomas and Johnson on Sunday afternoon. That should be spectacular.
McIlroy is going for his third WGC win and could move to No. 1 in the world if Johnson drops back outside the top four on the final leaderboard. Odds: +350
Final group tomorrow is Rory-DJ-JT at 8,000 feet of elevation. Might be wise to alert the International Space Station tonight. pic.twitter.com/1Z8NgCPQxz
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) March 4, 2017
Phil Mickelson (10 under, T3)
Mickelson had one of the great rounds I have ever seen him play, and we all know that’s saying something. He hit just four fairways and eight greens in regulation and somehow shot 68 and beat playing partner McIlroy by two. Mickelson is going for WGC win No. 3 of his career and his first PGA Tour win since the 2013 Open Championship. Odds: +800
No one makes par like Phil.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/oaG2amgTaS
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 4, 2017
This guy is 4-under today. pic.twitter.com/6Z2W5xWito
— Adam Sarson (@Adam_Sarson) March 4, 2017
Jordan Spieth (7 under, T10)
Spieth is the long shot here. He shot a course-record 8-under 63 and came all the way back from T40 to T10 in Round 3. He was fired up after his round and looked like he wanted to get back out on the course tonight to play the final 18. Nothing surprises me with this guy, and his first WGC win over the caliber of players above him from five back on Sunday wouldn’t either. Odds: +2500
Jordan has a renewed confidence after a Saturday 63.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 4, 2017
"If we did it today, we could do it tomorrow." pic.twitter.com/PoVdvKGSpx