Davis Thompson built a comfortable three-shot lead into the final round of the John Deere Classic on Saturday. He won it when he made a big 10-foot birdie on the last hole. His near flawless play propelled him to a 4-under 67, taking the lead on a congested and very closely contested leaderboard. With one round left to play in the tournament, Thompson is leading by one stroke. That lays the groundwork for an electric conclusion!
The landscape on the golf course turned out to be much more difficult on Saturday than the first two rounds. Even in light of these more difficult conditions, it was Thompson’s steady play that allowed him to climb to the top of the leaderboard. Not a single golfer shot lower than a 66 in the third round. This just goes to show how much harder this process was on all the players.
Trailing Thompson are Matt Kuchar and Jackson Koivun, both just four shots back. Kuchar expressed anticipation for the final round, stating, “Certainly makes for a fun Sunday when a bunch of guys have a chance.” This kind of grass-roots sentiment shows how competitive the friendly tournament is, with many players keen to compete for the crown.
Max Homa notched his last victory on the PGA Tour in January 2023 at Torrey Pines. He’s now back in the spotlight, making the competition stiffer than ever. He opened up to the media about his issues this year, noting, “Golf has just been really really boring for me this year. I wouldn’t say I’ve had a tremendous amount of pressure, but you need to be under pressure. So I got into the habit of really looking forward to those butterflies in the morning, really looking forward to that first tee shot.
Thompson capped an outstanding performance with an 18th-hole birdie because she wasn’t done yet. This solidified his lead and established the momentum that would carry him into Sunday’s final round. He remarked, “Nice to have some momentum going into tomorrow,” highlighting his readiness for the challenge that lies ahead.
Doug Ghim, the 36-hole leader, fell apart on Saturday. With a final round 74, he backpedaled out of the top 20. This change speaks to the wild-card, gamble-it-all vibe of golf and how quickly luck can turn during the cutthroat runtime of a tournament.
It’s been a crazy John Deere Classic this week with some great and uncharacteristic performances. In the opening rounds, golfers accumulated 28 rounds of 65 or less! However, as competitors struggled on Saturday, it became evident that maintaining consistency would be crucial for success in the final round.
Just as much as Garcia, Auburn junior Jackson Koivun is carving out his own stardom in this tournament. And he’s doing this while going up against grizzled competitors in Kuchar and Homa. All eyes will be upon his performance as he serves the public interest, working to make an impact.
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