JT Poston fired a four-under-par 67 to hold a three-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the John Deere Classic.
The 29-year-old American, who matched his career-low with a 62 on Thursday, rolled in an eagle putt from just inside 14 feet at the par-five 17th and closed with a par to finish 54 holes on 19-under 194 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.
“It was a little tougher out there,” Poston said. “I didn’t hit it as well off the tees. I had to earn it a bit more out there. I pulled out a 67. So I’m pretty happy with it.”
American Scott Stallings, seeking his first PGA Tour title in eight years, shot 64 to share second on 197 alongside countryman Denny McCarthy and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, who birdied four of the last five holes to shoot 65 as he chases his first PGA Tour victory since 2015.
“I’ve been looking for that win for six-plus years now. I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” Grillo said. “I changed putters this week. So far it’s working great. I’m seeing the lines a little better.”
South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout is six shots behind the leader, on 13 under, after carding a third-round 66, with countryman Dylan Frittelli on seven under.
Poston, who led by four when the day began, took his only PGA Tour victory at the 2019 Wyndham Championship.
World No 99 Poston has three top-10 efforts this season, the best of them a runner-up result at last week’s Travelers Championship.
“I’m just trying to play good golf,” Poston said. “When you have a lead like that, the goal is to make it so guys can’t catch you and I’m going to try and do that.”
Poston blasted out of a greenside bunker at the par-five 2nd hole to just inside four feet of the cup and sank the birdie putt, then dropped his approach to four feet at the 5th to set up another birdie.
Poston curled in a six-foot birdie putt at the 8th and made the turn on 18-under with a four-stroke edge.
After taking only his second bogey of the week, a poor 6-iron off the tee at the par-three 12th leading to a seven-foot par putt miss, Poston answered with an uphill eight-foot birdie putt at the 14th.
But Poston’s tee shot at the 15th hooked way right into deep rough and he missed another seven-footer to make bogey, setting the stage for his eagle on the penultimate hole.
“It was just one of those where I had a good eye for it,” Poston said of his eagle putt.
Tarren, a 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie ranked 393rd in the world, birdied four of the first six holes in a bogey-free round to make his charge.
“I knew I had to get off to a hot start, and I did,” Taren said. “I’m in a good position for tomorrow. It’s time to take it deep.”
Stallings (37) seeks his fourth PGA Tour title but first since 2014 at Torrey Pines. He birdied three of the first five holes, tapped in for another to open the back nine and then reeled off three in a row from 15-17 before closing with a 10-foot par putt.
© Agence France-Presse
