Test
May 1, 2024
BLAINE, Minn. – Breaking the 54-hole scoring mark at the 3M Open with his 20-under 193 this week, Lee Hodges showed no signs of slowing during Saturday’s third round at TPC Twin Cities, firing a 5-under 66 to hold the lead for the third consecutive day.
Closing in on his first PGA Tour victory, Hodges will take a five-stroke lead over J.T. Poston into Sunday’s final round.
"I have nothing to lose. I'm out here playing with house money. I have a job next year on the PGA Tour, this is all great. This is just icing on the cake,” Hodges said looking ahead to Sunday’s final round. “I'm going to try to shoot as well as I can tomorrow. I not going to try and make pars because pars aren't going to get it done tomorrow, I'm going to have to keep making birdies.
“It's going to be hard tomorrow, Postman's going to play great, Tony Finau, unbelievable golfers behind me. Not like I can go shoot even par tomorrow, I'm going to have to keep making birdies. I'm just going to stay aggressive like I have been.”
Hodges entered Saturday’s third round bogey-free over his last 37 holes, but took his first bogey of the week at the par-4 second. He rebounded with back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth, but bogeyed the ninth to turn in even par for the round.
Finding his stride on the putting surface over his final nine holes, Hodges opened his back nine with three birdies over his first four holes, and would roll in two more over his final three to remain on top of the leaderboard with his third-round 66.
“I didn't think I played bad on the front nine, I just couldn't really get it close to the hole and when I did, I couldn't make the putt,” he said. “I hit one really bad shot on 2, just kind of maybe didn't commit to it as well as I should have.
"On the back, I hit a lot of really good shots. Putter got going, which was nice. I knew it would if I just kept hitting putts, I've been rolling it so nice. I felt really comfortable out there today.”
Carding a 5-under 66 for the third consecutive round Saturday, J.T. Poston will look to do what Tony Finau did a season ago and erase a five-stroke deficit as he searches for his third PGA Tour victory.
“I really hit the ball good today and feel like I had a lot of control of my golf ball, which is always nice,” Poston said Saturday. “Another bogey-free round, so again, it's just been really solid. For tomorrow I'll try and do the same thing and hopefully get more putts to drop because I think I'm going to need a low one.
“Lee's playing some great golf, I would expect him to do the same tomorrow. I know he's chasing his first win and it's probably only a matter of time till he gets it done out here. For me to get it done I'm going to probably have to shoot something lower than I have this week.”
Poston, whose most recent win came at the 2022 John Deere Classic, began his third round by rolling in a pair of birdies during his outward nine to turn in 12-under for the championship.
He rolled in a 13-footer at the 11th and would card two more birdies over his final three holes to remain within striking distance of Hodges at 15-under 198.
The defending champion Finau played his opening nine in even par Saturday before carding four birdies during his inward nine to remain in contention, six back of the lead following his third-round 67.
“Hitting it a little bit better. The swing feels a little more polished for some reason,” Finau said Saturday. “Sometimes you just have it and sometimes you don't. This week hitting it a little bit better. Obviously, I made some putts, but just more confidence in the direction of the golf ball, so that's always a good feeling.
“I think I'm going to be in pretty similar position I was in last year, a handful of shots back, maybe more. It's a golf course that can yield some birdies and I'm definitely going to have to make some tomorrow if I'm going to make a run.”
Australian Aaron Baddeley fired a 6-under 65 Saturday to move up 10 spots on the leaderboard. He will begin Sunday’s final round in fourth place, looking for his first victory in seven seasons.
The final round of the 2023 3M Open is scheduled to begin at 6:35 a.m. Sunday at TPC Twin Cities.
THE 5TH 3M OPEN
TPC TWIN CITIES
BLAINE, MINN.
7,431 YARDS, PAR 71
SATURDAY’S THIRD ROUND RESULTS
1. Lee Hodges, United States, 63-64-66—193
2. J.T. Poston, United States, 66-66-66—198
3. Tony Finau, United States, 66-66-67—199
4. Aaron Baddeley, Australia, 69-66-65—200
T5. Sam Ryder, United States, 70-66-65—201
T5. Keith Mitchell, United States, 68-66-67—201
T5. Billy Horschel, United States, 66-67-68—201
T5. Kevin Streelman, United States, 64-68-69—201
T9. Nick Hardy, United States, 65-70-67—202
T9. Tyler Duncan, United States, 64-67-71—202
T27. TOM HOGE, FARGO, N.D., 68-69-68—205
T55. FRANKIE CAPAN III, NORTH OAKS, MINN., 68-68-73—209
MC. ERIK VAN ROOYEN, UNIV. OF MINN., 68-71—139
MC. DEREK HITCHNER, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., 73-71—144
MC. THOMAS LEHMAN, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ., 76-68—144
MC. CALEB VANARRAGON (A), BLAINE, MINN., 76-70—144
MC. ALEX GAUGERT, UNIV. OF MINN., 77-71—146
MC. ERIC ROLLAND, AUGSBURG UNIV., 73-78—151
For complete tournament results go to: www.pgatour.com/leaderboard
May 1, 2024
April 29, 2024
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