Tom McKibbin and Padraig Harrington will be in chasing mode today as they bid for victory in LIV Mexico City and the Senior PGA respectively.
While Shane Lowry goes into the final round of the RBC Heritage ten strokes behind Matt Fitzpatrick, McKibbin and Harrington still have options.
The Holywood star held the lead early on day three at Club de Golf Chapultepec, but while a one-over back nine saw him card a two-under 69 that left him tied for third on 11-under, he's just three strokes behind Legion XIII teammate Jon Rahm, who shot 67 to lead by two shots from teammate Tyrrell Hatton (66) on 14-under.
“Yeah, it's cool,” McKibbin said. “Today, getting to play with Jon in the final group was pretty cool.
“I've watched him win tournaments on TV for many years, and even since I've been out here, he's won a few times.
“To be around that and have that environment under that sort of pressure is pretty cool.
“Tomorrow will be much the same, so that will be cool to sort of try and fight it out with him and Tyrrell. Yeah, looking forward to it.”
A bogey at the 17th cost McKibbin a place in the final group today, but he was looking at the positives.
“It would have been cool,” he said. “I’m a little bit annoyed. The golf course is tricky, so mistakes and bogeys are going to happen.
“That was probably the only thing that I admit that I was annoyed about, missing that putt. Anyway, it'll be a good day tomorrow, and yeah, looking forward to it.”
The Newtownabbey man was pleased to be competing at a course that doesn't suit his game.
“If you'd asked me that at the start of the week or even last year, I'd be like, no chance,” he said. “But yeah, I feel like I learned a lot from last year, and there are a lot of holes that if you miss one side of the fairway, you have a shot to the green, and if you miss the other side, you're completely blocked out.
“I feel like I've managed that quite well. I've driven the ball well. But when I have missed the fairway, it's been on the right side to get it up and around the green.
“Yeah, I'm starting to enjoy the course the more times I play it.”
Legion XIII has a 15-stroke lead over Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs in the team event, and McKibbin just wants to finish strongly.
“There is a lot going on,” he said. “Tomorrow we'll all be going out there just to shoot the best score possible, and we'll see where that stands after four days.
“But yeah, it's a weird position. As you say, we're all playing against each other, but then playing with each other. Yeah, it'll be an interesting day.”
In the Senior PGA Championship at The Concession in Florida, a mistake at the last cost Harrington for the second day running.
A bogey at the hole he double-bogeyed on Friday saw him sign for a two-under 70.
But while he's tied for 14th on six under, he's just five shots behind South African Keith Horne, who shot 66 to lead by a shot on 11-under from Australians Scott Hend (72) and Steven Allen (68), American Stewart Cink (70) and Thailand’s Thammanoon Sriroj (66).
Lowry has a lot more work to do in the $20m RBC Heritage at Harbour Town.
A bogey-free, four under 67 catapulted him to joint 29th on seven under.
But he's ten strokes behind Ryder Cup teammate Fitzpatrick, who came home in 31 and shot 68 to lead by three shots from World number one Scottie Scheffler on 17-under.
Scheffler fired a seven under 64 to sit alone in second on 14-under with Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim and Sepp Straka a shot further back.
Fitzpatrick overcame a partisan home crowd to beat Jordan Spieth in a playoff to win the title in 2023 and expects Scheffler to have all the support today.
“As long as they don't shout in my backswing, then they can do whatever they want,” he said.
“But I have a lot of people that support me this week, as well, and just looking forward to it.
“Scottie is a great guy, and I'm looking forward to playing with him tomorrow.”
Article Link: McKibbin and Harrington chasing Sunday victory options - News - Irish Golf Desk