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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla .– Lee Westwood gets another shot at the Players’ Championship – and another shot at Bryson DeChambeau.
Westwood put in a 25-foot bird’s putt on the island’s 17th green hole, and closed a 4-under 68 with a 5-foot par to extend his bogey-free streak at the 44-hole TPC Sawgrass.
It also gave him a 2-stroke lead over DeChambeau and set up a rematch last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
They were in the final group at Bay Hill, where Westwood took a one-shot lead in the final round only for DeChambeau to make a 5-foot par on the last hole to beat him par 1 on a big baseball field. batter.
“Round 2,” Westwood said with a smile.
The Stadium course at Sawgrass is more about position than power, although DeChambeau seems capable of winning on just about any course at the moment. He ran three straight birdies to start the back nine and was most excited about his 15-foot putt on the 18th for a 67.
Westwood was 13 under 203.
The 47-year-old England had a 54-hole advantage at Sawgrass in 2010 to get into the water on the 17th par 3 to end his chances. He is tied for fourth place.
All these years later he has another chance and seems to be up to the task.
The same goes for DeChambeau, for his third victory this season.
It cannot detonate in Sawgrass due to tree-lined fairways and water hazards. But his power is still useful. With his tee shot buried to the right of the 18th fairway, about 210 yards, he tore an 8 iron just before the green and established his luck at par. DeChambeau pumped his powerful arms twice when he fell.
“You have to do them to win tournaments,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave a bitter taste in my mouth.”
Westwood has been around long enough to know that even with Bay Hill’s recent history, DeChambeau isn’t the only one getting in its way, especially on a tough course like Sawgrass.
Saturday was obvious.
Justin Thomas started the third round with 7 shots behind, opened with four birdies in a row, then hit a 5 iron that came to rest inches from the 16th par-5 that left him an eagle tap-in. He shot 64 and was 3 shots behind, along with Doug Ghim, making his debut for the Players.
Ghim, one of seven players who had at least a share of the lead at one point on Saturday, was rolling to an expensive swing on the easiest hole, the 16th par-5. He came very short into a bunker under a tree, tried to blow low under the limbs and grabbed the rough and ended up with his lone bogey.
Paul Casey had six birdies and an eagle to make up for his mistakes in a 67, leaving him 4 shots behind with Jon Rahm (67). Brian Harman, who started his day digging a wedge for an eagle and shot 69, was also 4 shots behind.
Sergio Garcia was 5 shots behind and still can’t handle short putts, including a 4-foot birdie that missed badly on the low side in the 17th. He had to settle for a 72.
Westwood said it would be the biggest victory of his career, and although he sometimes chose not to play as a member of the European Tour, there’s no denying the strength of the field – 48 of the top 50 players. – and the nature of a Sawgrass course where fortunes can change all at once.
For DeChambeau, it is a chance to establish himself as the favorite as the Masters approach, if he is not already. He won with power and bet at Bay Hill. He’s got to rely on a little more this week, and he says missing the right spots has helped him avoid dropping more shots.
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