Davis Thompson shot a birdie putt from 10 1/2 feet on the final hole to shoot 4-under-par 67 and emerge as the leader among numerous third-round contenders in the John Deere Classic on Saturday in Silvis, Ill.
Thompson withstood windy conditions at TPC Deere Run to move to 15-under 198.
He’s up one shot on David Lipsky, Max Homa, Brian Campbell and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo after they all posted 68s.
Thompson, playing in the final group, overcame a pair of bogeys on the front side, playing the last nine holes in 4 under. Campbell, also in that group, had a birdie on No. 18 as well.
Lipsky birdied both back-side par-5s. Homa had birdies on three of the final seven holes. Grillo closed with birdies on two of the last three holes.
More than halfway through the round, there were 10 golfers tied for the lead at 12 under. The afternoon involved a revolving door with golfers rising to the top of the leaderboard.
Going to Sunday’s final round, there are 14 golfers within four strokes of the lead.
The day began with 12 golfers within two shots of the lead. Doug Ghim, who led after the first and second rounds, slipped to a tie for 21st place by shooting 74. He was a 36-hole leader for the first time on tour.
The group at 12 under includes Kurt Kitayama (66), Austin Eckroat (67), Ireland’s Seamus Power (68) and Colombia’s Camilo Villegas (69). Eckroat logged a bogey-free round, including 3 under through eight holes.
Because of concerns about stormy weather later in the day, tee times were moved up, golfers were grouped in threesomes and the first and 10th tees were used as starting points.
–Field Level Media
