PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. Lee Westwood gets another chance to win the Players Championship – and another crack at Bryson DeChambeau.
Westwood made a 25-foot birdie putt on the island green 17th hole, finishing a 4-under 68 with a 5-footer for par to extend his bogey-free streak at TPC Sawgrass to 44 holes.
It also gave him a two-shot lead over DeChambeau and secured a rematch from last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
They were in the last group at Bay Hill, where Westwood took a 1-shot lead on the final round, only for DeChambeau to make a 5-foot par on the final hole and beat him 1 on the final hole. baseball field of a big-hitter.
“Round 2,” Westwood said with a smile.
The Stadium Course at Sawgrass is more about position than power, although DeChambeau currently appears capable of winning on just about any course. He ran off three consecutive birdies to start the back nine and was most excited about his 4.5 meter par putt on 18th for a 67.
Westwood was 13 under 203.
The 47-year-old from England had the 54-hole lead over Sawgrass in 2010, but hit the water on the par-3 17th to end his chances. He finished in fourth place.
All these years later, he gets another chance and seems to be up to the task.
This also applies to DeChambeau, who is going for his third victory this season.
It cannot fly away on Sawgrass due to the curving tree-lined fairways and water hazards. But his strength still comes in handy. With his tee shot buried deep to the right of the 18th fairway, some 200 yards away, he ripped an 8-iron just below the green and put his shot at par. DeChambeau pumped his powerful arms twice as he fell.
“You have to get it to win tournaments,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave a sour taste in my mouth.”
Westwood has been around long enough to know that, even with Bay Hill’s recent history, DeChambeau isn’t the only one getting in his way, especially on a tricky track like Sawgrass.
That was clear on Saturday.
Justin Thomas started the third round with 7 shots behind, opened with four straight birdies, then hit a 5-iron that stopped inches away on the par-5 16th that left him a tap-in eagle. He shot 64 and was 3 shots behind, along with Doug Ghim, who is making his debut in the Players.
Ghim, one of seven players who had at least part of the lead at one point on Saturday, drove on to a costly swing on the easiest hole, the par-5 16th. He came far short in a bunker under a tree, tried to shoot low under the branches and caught the rough and finished with his lonely bogey.
Paul Casey had six birdies and an eagle to make up for his mistakes in a 67, leaving him 4 shots behind with Jon Rahm (67). Also 4 shots behind was Brian Harman, who started his day with an eagle wedge and 69 shot.
Sergio Garcia was 5 shots behind and still can’t handle the short putts, including a 4-footer for birdie who missed badly on the low end on 17th. He had to settle for a 72.
Westwood said this would be the biggest win of his career, and while he sometimes chose not to play as a member of the European Tour, there’s no denying the field is strong – 48 of the top 50 players – and the nature of it. from a Sawgrass course where fortunes can change with a single swing.
For DeChambeau, it’s an opportunity to label himself a favorite as the Masters approach, if he isn’t already. He won with strength and wells on Bay Hill. He has to rely on a little more this week, and he says missing out on all the right spots has helped him avoid dropping more photos.