On his way to a five-under 67, Troy Merritt carded his first career PGA Tour ace at the par-3 11th hole en route his fourth 54-hole lead/co-lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. The last player to make an ace and go on to win the event was Webb Simpson at the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Merritt is two-for-three with the 54-hole lead/co-lead in stroke-play events on the PGA Tour. Co-leader Joaquin Niemann is bogey-free through 54 holes in bid for second career Tour victory.
The last player player 72 holes without a bogey and go on to win was J.T. Poston at the 2019 Wyndham Championship.
Australia’s Cam Davis shot six birdies for a 67 to trail by one shot as he seeks first PGA Tour win.
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Sungjae Im of Korea enters the final round four back after shooting a 69 on Saturday. Anirban Lahiri carded a one-over 73 to slip to T70 with a cumulative score of three-under 213.
Merritt held the 54-hole lead after the 2019 and 2020 Barracuda Championship (Modified Stableford format), before finishing runner-up on both occasions.
His previous finishes at the Rocket Mortgage Classic: 2019/MC, 2020/T8. He is seeking a third PGA Tour title and first since the 2018 Barbasol Championship.
Merritt seeks a fourth top-10 finish this season and first since the Charles Schwab Challenge (7th).
Niemann kept his bogey-free streak alive through 54 holes with a 4-under 68. Andrew Putnam (2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open) was the last player to play all four rounds without a bogey (T7).
On only other occasion to hold a 54-hole lead/co-lead, converted for his lone Tour title at A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier in 2019.
In his only previous start at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Niemann finished T5 in 2019
Two runner-up finishes this season (P2/Sentry Tournament of Champions, T2/Sony Open in Hawaii)
Seeking his first career Tour victory in his 71st start, Cam Davis (T3/-13) posted a 5-under 67 in bid to improve on best Tour finish of solo-third from The American Express earlier this season.
The 36-hole co-leader Tom Lewis (T6/-11) shot 1-under 71, trails by three strokes in bid for first PGA Tour title.
Text courtesy: PGA Tour
