Taylor Pendrith went to bed Friday night with his first 36-hole lead/co-lead on the PGA Tour after firing a tournament-record 61. Saturday, Pendrith backed up his historical round with a hard-fought 6-under 65. After making a bogey on the par 4 fifth, Pendrith played his next eight holes in 5 under.
He would later add back-to-back circles on 16 and 17 to extend his lead to three shots going into Sunday’s final round.
“There’s a lot of familiar names up on the top of the leaderboard that I played with the last two years on the Korn Ferry Tour, so, I mean, there will be some nerves for everybody in the top-10 I think going into tomorrow,” Pendrith said after his round. “Just going to try to focus on what I can control and just go play golf and try to battle the wind.”
His performance this week isn’t a huge surprise, as he’s made all three cuts this season prior to Bermuda with no finish worse than T-47.
On Pendrith’s PGA Tour profile, one of his personal notes reads: “Hopes to play Augusta National someday.” With a win tomorrow, that dream would become reality, as the winner of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship earns an automatic invitation to the Masters.
Just another example of how weird and unpredictable golf is: Danny Lee’s last nine starts on the PGA Tour consisted of five missed cuts, two withdraws, and one top 20 finish (Palmetto Championship). This week, Lee is solo second, three shots back of the lead entering the final round in Bermuda.
He made the turn Saturday with a bogey-free 4-under 32, but had a more roller coaster back-nine. Lee mixed four birdies and two bogeys coming home for a moving day total of 6-under 65.
“I haven’t had this kind of round or this kind of week in a while,” Lee said when asked about playing good golf again. “It’s good to be back in contention and feel a little bit of nerves and seeing the crowds and getting to mix with the crowds, hitting a lot of good golf shots, making a lot of birdies out there. It’s been a lot of fun.”
He’ll look to win for the second time on the PGA Tour Sunday, his previous victory came at the 2015 Greenbrier.
Patrick Reed, one of the lone stars in the field this week, was in his bag for most of moving day until a double bogey on the par 5 17th derailed his blemish-free effort. He’ll need a water-to-wine miracle Sunday as he’s nine back, sitting at T-17.
Quick note for those interested in watching the final round action:
Due to Sunday weather forecast, starting times for round four at @Bermuda_Champ will be 7:45am-9:57am (local time) off of the 1st and 10th tees.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) October 30, 2021
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