Justin Thomas made a hole-in-one and surged into the third round lead with a 5-under 66 at the WGC-Mexico Championship in Mexico City.
Thomas hit a 6-iron from 239 yards that one-hopped into the cup on the par-3 13th. He added a pair of birdies that gave him a one-shot lead over fellow American Dustin Johnson, with Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy right behind.
Johnson, in his debut at No 1 in the world, was tied for the lead when his second shot on the 16th got stuck in a tree. He walked back to the original spot and hit the next one to 15 feet, and the ball fell out of the tree as he was walking to the green. He made the putt to salvage a bogey and shot 66.
‘It happens,’ Johnson said, and no one knows that better.
Mickelson didn’t hit a fairway on the back nine until the 16th hole and at one point took as many drops as he had birdies. Even so, Lefty managed to make three straight birdies until closing with a bogey for a wild round of 68.
He was two shots behind, along with McIlroy, who didn’t make a birdie over his last seven holes and shot 70.
At nearly 7,800 feet (2400m)of elevation, the final round figures look to be up in the thin air. That might even include Jordan Spieth, who set the course record with an 8-under 63 and was among a dozen players within five shots of the lead.
Thomas is a 23-year-old who already has three victories in this PGA Tour season, two of them at the start of the year in Hawaii. He was hanging around the leaders when he made his hole-in-one on the 13th.
‘It looked perfect,’ he said. ‘I think I said, “Go in”. You might as well say it,’ Thomas said while watching the shot on a TV monitor. “I haven’t hit too many shots exactly how I wanted. I liked this result.’
Lee Westwood, who has played in more World Golf Championships than anyone since they began in 1999, shot 31 on the back nine for a 66 and was three behind, along with Spanish rookie Jon Rahm, who had a 67.
Johnson is trying to become the fifth player to win in his debut at No 1 in the world, and he still likes his position. He will be in the final group with Thomas and McIlroy. They all live in South Florida and spend plenty of time together.
Best placed of the South Africans, on 209 after three rounds and eight shots behind the leader, is Charl Schwartzel, who has had rounds of 71, 68 and 70.
Brandon Grace is one behind him, on three-under overall 210, after a 68 to add to his opening 73 and 69.
Louis Oosthuizen is down, tied 57th at five-over 218 after rounds of 72, 73 and 73, while Brandon Stone is tied 72nd on 274 (76, 73, 75) and Richard Stern is 74th on 227 (76, 79, 72).
