American Express: Sepp Straka takes four-shot lead into final round of tournament | Golf news
Sepp Straka moved into a four-time lead before the finals of The American Express tournament in California.
Straka shot an eight-under 64 on Saturday for his third straight bogey-free round to move four shots ahead of Charley Hoffman, Jason Day and Justin Lower in the Coachella Valley desert.
Straka made six birdies on his first nine at La Quinta Country Club, perhaps the easiest of the three rounds, and added two more birdies in a row, putting him at 23-under 193 and making him just the third player to go bogeyless through 54 holes since this tournament in 2016 has rotated three fields.
Straka is the first Austrian-born player to earn a PGA Tour card and win on the course, and he knows his work is far from done as he prepares for the final round at PGA West on the Stadium Course.
“I think the Stadium is the type of ground where no track is safe,” said Straka.
“My first victory that I achieved [the] Honda [Classic]it’s a very similar golf course, and I was five shots back at the start of the day. So no clue is certain. You’ve just got to keep hitting your spots, and you’ve got to really hit the ball well out there, so that’s what I’m looking for tomorrow is just a good solid round of hitting the ball.
“It’s a very fun scoreboard. I played with Charley last week [at the Sony Open].
“He said he feels good, so whenever his body feels good, he’s a little dangerous. Yeah, it’s a great record.”
Hoffman started the day with a share of the lead, recording a bogey-free 69 on the Stadium Course and looking for his first win since 2016.
“I didn’t think about it until the back nine, and then I was able to make a few shots,” Hoffman said. “Obviously a clean sheet on the Stadium Course is something to be proud of.”
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland
Former PGA Championship winner Day recorded seven birdies and two bogeys as he played in front of a lively gallery watching his pairing with two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas.
Thomas shot a blistering 68. He was at 17-under 199, a shot behind the American duo of Patrick Cantlay and Mark Hubbard.
Lower, who started the last two days one shot off the lead, shot a 68 on the Stadium Course to stay in contention for his first win.
Defending champion Nick Dunlap made the cut with a nine-under 207, while 17-year-old Blades Brown shot a third-round 74 to miss the cut in his first event as a professional.
Watch the final round of American Express, live on Sky Sports Golf from 4.45pm on Sunday or stream with NOW.
