Thomas Pieters ended a roller-coaster round with a 30-foot birdie putt for a 66 that gave him a share of the lead with Zach Johnson going into the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational.
Thomas Pieters ended a roller-coaster round with a 30-foot birdie putt for a four-under-par 66 that gave him a share of the lead with Zach Johnson going into the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational.
Pieters built a big lead early with five birdies on his opening eight holes at Firestone in Akron, Ohio, only to run into trouble off the tee. He made only three pars over his last 11 holes and wound up with his best chance yet to win in America.
Johnson, who hasn’t won since capturing his second major at St. Andrews in 2015, holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 65.
They were at nine-under 201. Scott Hend, who got into his first Bridgestone Invitational on a loophole, shot a 63 and was one back.
Goydos shoots record 60 to share lead
Paul Goydos shot a tournament-record 60 Saturday and is tied with Kenny Perry and Gene Sauers after two rounds of the PGA Tour Champions’ 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn.
Goydos, who shot 59 at the PGA’s 2010 John Deere Classic, was 7-under through 12 holes, before birdies at 15,16 and 17 and an eagle on the par-five 18th. He needed one putt on 16 greens and two on the others at the TPC Twin Cities.
Perry, a co-leader with Mike Goodes after round one, shot his second straight 65. He won the tournament in 2014 and 2015. Sauers shot an eight-under 64.
Scott Dunlap (63) and Brandt Jobe (64) were one shot behind; Steve Stricker (63) and Marco Dawson (66) were two back. Goodes shot 68 and was one of seven players trailing by three shots.
