NAPA, CA – Ben Griffin clings to the one-shot lead, providing over-shoulder views he is by no means seen on the PGA Tour. He has two high gamers on the earth.
One is Auburn Junior and No. 1 on the earth’s beginner rankings, Auburn Junior, who has already locked up PGA Tour playing cards when he grew to become a professional.
The opposite is way more troublesome – Scotty Scheffler, the primary participant in all golf, was double bogeying on Saturday and shot an 8-under 64.
Griffin made the match’s first bogey within the closing gap and needed to accept 2 below 70.
Griffin was 16 below 200.
“He is confirmed quite a bit on tour regardless of being nonetheless in school,” Griffin mentioned of Kovrun.
“I do know he has numerous video games. He is in second place within the tour occasion he goes to Sunday, so he can play similar to Scotty, similar to I do,” he mentioned. “I’ve to give attention to myself, keep proactive and attempt to make a lot of birdies tomorrow. Nobody wants to fret.”
If Saturday is any signal, it needs to be a fairly present. Even when Phil Mickelson performed, the group was the largest for the reason that match moved to NAPA in 2014. This was the prospect to lastly characteristic all however two gamers from the US Ryder Cup crew earlier than heading to Bethpage Black for the September 26-28 match.
More often than not they have been there to see Schaeffler, however the crowd was 4 deep in most holes with an equal chant of “Scotty!” and “America!”
“Should you’re going out and enjoying good, constant golf, I am going to begin shifting up the leaderboard after which that was the purpose at present,” mentioned Schaeffler, who began spherical eight pictures behind Griffin.
He solely missed two greens and solely had one large blunder on the 14th. His tee shot drifted right into a comfortable, thick tough. He appeared just under the inexperienced after which tried to clip the wedge close to the tight pin. However it got here out softly, and have become a nasty lie within the deep bunker, and he exploded into 15 ft and took two putts for a double bogey.
Schaeffler replied with three birdies in his closing 4 holes. Two of them are on par 5 and the opposite is 6 ft from 7 irons on the seventeenth.
Koivun wasn’t off to an ideal begin. He had two bogeys in entrance, bouncing off a birdie at par 3 eighth, and beginning to slide the leaderboard for a stress-free shot, bouncing off a tricky shot from the green bunker to twenty ft.
And he is 5 below on the again 9, a par 5 twelfth day in a row, this has a 40-foot putt.
“It wasn’t the beginning I used to be on the lookout for, it wasn’t an ideal begin, however I used to be capable of flip it in the midst of the spherical, make birdies, make some putts, flip the script over and hold the combat going,” Koivun mentioned.
He has the prospect to turn out to be the second beginner over time to win the PGA Tour, following Nick Dunlap on the American Categorical final 12 months.
“Nick is aware of fairly effectively,” Kovrun mentioned. “I wasn’t actually speaking to him about this week, however I might undoubtedly prefer to go and see what he did.”
In the meantime, Griffin did not make as many birdies because the opening spherical, however he was not mistaken with three birdies till the 18th. He was enjoying his third shot at par 5 18th place from 127 yards on the green.
Griffin gained the Colonial earlier this 12 months, with Schaeffler taking pictures six pictures. He additionally continued his combat on the monument to pursue Schaeffler. So one of the best golf within the combine is not new.
“I am not too nervous about what he’ll do. I’ve to play higher than him,” Griffin mentioned. “And for those who try this tomorrow, you must have the ability to raise the trophy. Clearly there are others within the combine, however I believe everybody is aware of what Scotty Schaeffler can do.
