FedEx St. Jude Classic 2018: Dustin Johnson, Andrew Putnam Lead Entering Sunday
Rob Goldberg@TheRobGoldberg
Featured ColumnistJune 9, 2018
The final day of the FedEx St. Jude Classic looks like it will be a two-man battle with Dustin Johnson and Andrew Putnam each holding a share of the lead.
The American duo sits at 15 strokes under par for the tournament at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, after Round 3 Saturday, although no one else is within five strokes of the lead.
While most of the golf world is preparing for next week's U.S. Open, the leaders in this event are hoping to gain some momentum into the second major of the year.
Day 3 Leaderboard
T1. Dustin Johnson (-15)
T1. Andrew Putnam (-15)
3. Stewart Cink (-10)
T4. Richy Werenski (-9)
T4. Wesley Bryan (-9)
6. Chez Reavie (-8)
T7. Brandt Snedeker (-7)
T7. C.T. Pan (-7)
T7. Trey Mullinax (-7)
Full results available at PGATour.com.
Johnson entered the day with a one-stroke lead and remained steady at the start of the weekend, producing some impressive approach shots throughout the day:
He finished with a 65, including six birdies, putting him in good shape to possibly bring home his second win of the season.
It wasn't easy to pull away from Putnam, though, who completed a bogey-free round with six birdies.
The 29-year-old finished with a 64, tied for the best round of the field on Saturday, as he seeks his first PGA Tour victory.
Stewart Cink was the other player with a 64, becoming one of the big movers of the day while jumping from 14th place to third. He was especially impressive on the par threes with two birdies and a hole-in-one on No. 8:
With a 68 or better in all three rounds, the veteran remains in contention to bring home a title.
Trey Mullinax also rose quite a bit in the standings as well after shooting a 65.
Phil Mickelson fell far out of contention after shooting a 73 in Round 3. He had three bogeys and a double, dropping him to one-under for the tournament.
On the plus side, he did have a few highlights to help prepare him for next week's major:
There is still a tournament to win in Memphis, however, and the leaders will battle for their share of the $6.6 million purse during the final day of action Sunday.