Former British Open champion Brian Harman battled by way of a rocky begin to shoot an even-par 72 and take a three-shot lead after the third spherical of the PGA Tour Texas Open in San Antonio on Saturday.
Harman, who began the day 4 pictures away from the sphere after a six-under-par 66 on Friday, was in hassle early on at TPC San Antonio, making bogeys on his second and fourth holes.
However the 38-year-old American — who’s chasing his first match win since triumphing within the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool — regrouped impressively to cease the bleeding.
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He rattled off 9 straight pars earlier than making his first birdie of the day, brilliantly chipping out of a greenside bunker on the par-five 14th to inside inches of the cup to go away himself with a tap-in.
After two extra pars, Harman then dropped to stage par for the spherical with a birdie on the par-four seventeenth, with one other chic bunker shot establishing a five-footer that he duly rolled in.
Harman had a chance to dip below par for the spherical on the 18th inexperienced, however rolled his 12-foot birdie putt simply previous the cup.
That left him alone on 12 below by way of 54 holes and in pole place to assert the fourth PGA Tour win of his profession.
“I knew I’d get some birdie possibilities on that again 9, simply needed to sort of survive the entrance, there’s some actually powerful holes,” Harman mentioned afterwards. “Bought out of place a number of instances off the tee and actually needed to scramble.” Harman is bracing for a dog-fight on Sunday as he makes an attempt to shut out victory. “I do know that I can do it, however the guys which can be behind me, they’re hungry, man, they’re coming,” Harman mentioned.
“A number of guys that haven’t gained, guys which have gained a pair instances, good gamers, so I’ll must play very well tomorrow.”
Harman leads by three from Andrew Novak, who moved to 9 below after carding a three-under-par 69.
Novak’s 69 got here courtesy of an enormous slice of fine fortune on the par-three sixteenth, the place his five-iron tee shot flew cannoned off a spectator grandstand and span again onto the inexperienced to current a brief birdie putt.
“I didn’t count on it to relax and go on the inexperienced, that was clearly ridiculous,” Novak, who would earn a begin at The Masters with victory, mentioned afterwards. “Not the most effective swing and typically golf rewards you.” Tom Hoge is an additional shot again on eight below after his four-under-par 68, whereas Keith Mitchell 5 off the lead following a one-over-par 73.
Finland’s Sami Valimaki and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune are on six below alongside Chad Ramey.