NASSAU, Bahamas — Justin Thomas was lengthy off the tee and made just a few lengthy putts on the again 9 to overhaul Scottie Scheffler with a 6-under 66 and construct a one-shot lead Saturday over golf’s finest participant going into the ultimate spherical of the Hero World Problem.
Thomas is attempting out a 46-inch driver – a bit of greater than an inch longer than regular – that he beforehand used for apply at dwelling to realize velocity and size. He blasted a 361-yard drive to eight ft on the par-4 seventh gap and led the sphere in driving distance.
Nevertheless it was just a few lengthy putts that put him forward of Scheffler, who had a 69.
Thomas was on the verge of falling two photographs behind when he made an 18-foot par putt on the par-3 twelfth gap. On the reachable par-4 14th, he was in a nasty spot in a sandy space and will solely splash it out to almost 50 ft.
He made that one for a very unlikely birdie, whereas behind him Scheffler muffed a chip on the thirteenth gap and made his lone bogey of a windy day.
Scheffler by no means caught as much as him, lacking birdie probabilities on the reachable 14th and the par-5 fifteenth. Thomas hit his method to three ft for birdie on the sixteenth after a 343-yard drive. Scheffler made an 18-foot birdie putt on the sixteenth to shut inside one.
Scheffler missed birdie probabilities on the final two holes from the 10-foot and 15-foot vary, whereas Thomas missed an 8-foot birdie try on the final.
“I had a stretch at 13, 14, 15 the place I felt like I misplaced a shot or two there, however outdoors of that I did a variety of actually good issues immediately,” Scheffler stated.
Thomas hasn’t received because the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, and a victory at Albany Golf Membership would not depend as an official win. However the two-time main champion has made regular progress towards getting his recreation again so as.
“I am driving it nice. I’ve had a variety of confidence with it,” Thomas stated of his longer driver. “I really feel like I have been capable of put myself in some fairly good spots going into the inexperienced. I am nonetheless not profiting from a few of them as a lot as I would love, however that is golf and we’re at all times going to say that.”
Thomas was at 17-under 199 and will likely be within the ultimate group Sunday with Scheffler, who’s attempting to finish his spectacular season with a ninth title.
Tom Kim put himself within the combine, which he won’t have imagined Thursday when he was 3 over via six holes of the vacation event. Kim bought again within the recreation with a 65 on Friday, after which adopted with 12 birdies for a 62.
He had a shot on the course report – Rickie Fowler shot 61 within the ultimate spherical when he received at Albany in 2017 – till Kim discovered a bunker and took two photographs to succeed in the inexperienced in making a double bogey on the par-3 seventeenth.
Even so, he was solely two photographs behind. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (68) was 4 again.
“Really feel like I have been seeing indicators of enchancment, which is what you need and that is all I can do,” Thomas stated. “I can not management everyone else or what is going on on, I’ve simply bought to maintain taking part in pretty much as good as I probably can and hope that it is sufficient come Sunday.”