PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Lee Westwood gets another chance to win the Players Championship – and another crack at Bryson DeChambeau.
Westwood made a 25-foot birdie putt on the island green 17th hole, and he closed out a 4-under-68 with a 5-foot for par to extend his rogue-free streak at TPC Sawgrass to 44 holes.
It also gave him a 2-stroke lead over DeChambeau and set up a second chance last week in the Arnold Palmer invitation.
They were in the final group at Bay Hill, where Westwood took a 1-stroke lead in the final round, only for DeChambeau to make a 5-foot par on the final hole to put him up with 1 on a big hooker’s to beat ballpark.
“Round 2,” Westwood said with a smile.
The stadium track at Sawgrass is more about position than power, although DeChambeau can apparently win on any track at the moment. He ran three straight birdies away to start the back nine and was most excited about his 15-foot par-hole on the 18th for a 67.
Westwood was at 13-under 203.
The 47-year-old man from England took the 54-hole lead over Sawgrass in 2010, only to hit the par-3 17th in the water to end his chances. He drew fourth.
All those years later, he gets another chance and looks up to the task.
So does DeChambeau, who will claim his third victory this season.
He cannot blow away at Sawgrass due to the bending tree-rich clearing and water hazards. But his power still comes in handy. Burying his tee in deep rough right side of the 18th highway, about 210 yards away, he tore an 8-iron to just short of the green and his chance at par. DeChambeau twice pumped his powerful arms when it fell.
“You have to make it to win tournaments,” he said. “I did not want to leave a sour taste in my mouth.”
Westwood has been around long enough to know that DeChambeau, even in the recent history of Bay Hill, is not the only one standing in his way, especially on a difficult track like Sawgrass.
Saturday was clear of this.
Justin Thomas started the third round with 7 strokes at the back, opening with four straight birdies and then hitting a 5-iron that stopped inches further on the par-5 16th that left him a tick-eagle. He shot 64 and was 3 strokes behind, along with Doug Ghim, making his debut in the Players Series.
Ghim, one of the seven players who at least had an advantage at one point on Saturday, dragged along to one expensive swing on the easiest hole, the par-5 16th. He comes up short in a bunker under a tree, tries to blow low under the limbs and catches the rough and wounded with his lone bogey.
Paul Casey had six birdies and an eagle to make up for his mistakes in a 67, which left him with 4 strokes with Jon Rahm (67). Brian Harman, who was also 4 strokes behind, started his day by holding a wedge for eagle and shooting 69.
Sergio Garcia was 5 strokes behind and still could not handle the short set strokes, including a birdie of four birdies who missed badly in 17th place. He had to be content with a 72.
Westwood said it would be the biggest win of his career, and although he sometimes chose not to play as a European tour member, the strength of the field – 48 of the top 50 players – and nature could be denied. word. of a Sawgrass track where fortunes can change at once.
For DeChambeau, it’s a chance to call himself the favorite as the Masters approach, if he is not already. He won with power and hole on Bay Hill. He needs to rely on a little more this week, and he says the missing in the right places helped him not to drop more shots.