While most eyes were glued to the Solheim Cup in Virginia, PGA Tour action continued Saturday at the 2024 Procore Championship across Silverado Resort’s North Course. And with 18 holes left to play in Napa, California, the leaderboard is cluttered behind the man up top.
Patton Kizzire, who entered Moving Day in pole position, is alone in first at 18 under after a 5-under 67.
David Lipsky is his closest pursuer at 14 under, while Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes — both players are members of the International Team for the Presidents Cup — are part of a group of four at 13 under, five back.
“(I) made some really nice putts coming down the stretch and hung in there and kept myself in it and that’s all I can ask for when I don’t have my A-game from tee to green.” Lipsky said of his day.
Defending champion Sahith Theegala is 12 under through 54 holes and is tied for seventh.
If you missed any of Saturday’s action, no worries, we have you covered. Here are five things to know from the third round of the Procore Championship.
Procore: Best merchandise | Photos | Leaderboard
Patton Kizzire builds a comfy cushion
Kizzire was in the driver’s seat entering Saturday’s third round and got off to a hot start with three straight birdies on Nos. 3-5. Even better, he chipped in for a clutch par on the seventh after missing the green with his tee shot and second.
After making the turn with a 3-under 32, Kizzire three-putted for bogey on the 10th but got the shot right back with a lengthy birdie make on the 11th.
Bouncing back with the flatstick.
After a 3-putt bogey, Patton Kizzire drains a long birdie putt on the next hole to reclaim the solo lead. pic.twitter.com/bMoLDkgfkA
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 14, 2024
Two birdies later (Nos. 15 and 17), Kizzire signed for his 67 that was aided heavily by his putter — he ranked second on Saturday in SG: Putting.
“This (course) is very similar to Sony,” he said. “This course has a little more undulation on the greens. The greens were fantastic. The maintenance crew has done a fantastic job, the agronomy team has done a fantastic job. They’re rolling really nice. I’m seeing the greens well and putting it on the line, it’s holding. This is a golf course I really enjoy playing and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Kizzire, who entered the week with three missed cuts in his previous five starts to end the season, hasn’t won since the 2018 Sony Open in Hawaii.
Mackenzie Hughes is dialed for Presidents Cup
In a few weeks, Mackenzie Hughes will head to his home country of Canada for the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club. Hughes is one of the 12 members of the International Team, and he’s getting dialed in for the biennial event by contending at the Procore.
After opening with a 2-under 70 on Thursday, Hughes has now posted rounds of 67-66 and is tied for third, five back of the lead.
The Canadian, who hasn’t won since the 2022 Sanderson Farms, made three birdies on each half of Silverado Resort’s North Course, gaining nearly 3½ strokes with his iron play (first in Strokes Gained: Approach). If his putter cooperated a bit better, his round could have been special.
“I actually — I had a lot of chances,” he said. “I felt like — I’m not sure what my strokes gained approach would have been today, but I felt I had a lot of close looks that I wasn’t able to convert.”
If the flat-stick heats up on Sunday, watch out for Hughes.
Corey Conners continues to roll
Like Hughes, Conners will don the black and gold at the Presidents Cup for the International Team — Hughes, Conners and Taylor Pendrith are the three Canadians playing at Royal Montreal.
In 22 starts this season, Conners never missed a weekend. That’s a lot of money, but what he failed to do was win.
That could change Sunday with a special round as he sits at 13 under in a tie for third thanks to rounds of 73-64-66.
After making the turn with a 2-under 33, Conners made four birdies on his final six holes to catapult up the leaderboard.
Like it has been all year, Conners’ tee-to-green game was outstanding on Day 3 — he ranked fourth in both SG: Off the Tee and Approach.
International Team captain Mike Weir must like what he’s seeing from Hughes and Conners.
Wilson Furr credits bachelor trip for ‘reset’
It was a tough 2023-24 Tour season for Furr. In 18 starts, he made just four cuts with his best finish coming at the Texas Children’s Houston Open where he tied for 36th.
But over the break — his last Tour start came at the Wyndham Championship, the final event before the FedEx Cup Playoffs — Furr went on his bachelor trip and credited it for a much-needed reset.
“I had my bachelor trip over the break and I felt like it was an amazing reset,” Furr said. “We went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, went fly fishing and exploring Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Yeah, I think that was about as good a reset as I could ask for. Got to see a lot of my friends I hadn’t seen in a long time.”
And how’d the fishing go?
“Sick. We crushed it.”
He also crushed it on the course Saturday, firing a 8-under 64. Furr made five birdies on the front nine before making the turn and adding another on the 16th. He also made an eagle at the par-5 15th after his 216-yard approach shot finished less than three feet from the hole.
Furr will enter the final round in a tie for seventh at 12 under, six back of the lead.
Procore Championship top 10, odds to win
Position | Player | Score | Odds to win |
1 | Patton Kizzire | 18 under | (-110) |
2 | David Lipsky | 14 under | (+1200) |
T-3 | Mackenzie Hughes | 13 under | (+1100) |
T-3 | Greyson Sigg | 13 under | (+2200) |
T-3 | Corey Conners | 13 under | (+650) |
T-3 | Patrick Fishburn | 13 under | (+1400) |
T-7 | Wilson Furr | 12 under | (+6500) |
T-7 | Ben Silverman | 12 under | (+3500) |
T-7 | Sahith Theegala | 12 under | (+1100) |
T-10 | Chez Reavie | 11 under | (+11000) |
T-10 | Justin Lower | 11 under | (+7500) |
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