After a moving day which led up to its name, eight players will start within two strokes of the lead held by Nico Echevarria, Justin Lower and Cam Young.
Plenty is on the line as players bid for a title that will see them earn a two year PGA Tour exemption as well as valuable FedEx Fall Series points.
Ahead of what stands to be an incredibly exciting day, here are the main talking points to keep an eye out for.
Nico Echevarria edges closer to historic double, can Cam Young finally get inside the winner’s circle?
Winning twice in succession is a hard thing to do on the PGA Tour. The only man to have completed the feat this year is Scottie Scheffler. Few would have anticipated that Nico Echevarria could join him in that exclusive club, but after three brilliant rounds where he is still yet to drop a shot, the Colombian stands on the cusp of creating history.
A winner at the prestigious Zozo Championship down in Japan a few weeks ago when he held off some of the best players in the game, Echevarria is swinging the club with confidence and ease and effortlessly worked his way to the top of the leaderboard this week.
With the fairways wide and the greens receptive and approachable, Echevarria has been immaculate off the tee and seems to be able to give himself birdie looks at every hole.
His second round 63 was special, but arguably his third round 68 was just as impressive. Able to regroup and stay in complete control of his emotions throughout his round, Echevarria will be a tough nut to crack today and he looks like the man that the rest of the field may need to stop.
One man who will be hoping to stop the Colombian in his tracks is Cameron Young.
A former PGA Tour rookie of the year, remarkably the American has finished second on seven different occasions and as of yet is yet to win his first PGA Tour title.
Clearly a player loaded with talent, many still believe that Young is destined for the top of the game but as he has searched for that maiden victory, he has come unstuck and although he has posted three top ten finishes this season, his ranking has dropped all the way down to 33 in the world.
One man that many point towards in the instance of Young is Scottie Scheffler. It seems strange to remember, but for a while Scheffler also couldn’t quite get over the line, but after that first title fell, the rest is history.
Many are hoping that Young may be able to do something similar but before he can dream of loftier ambitions, he needs to win his first title and there will be no man more determined in the field to do that today than the pugnacious Young.
Lower produces one of the best rounds of the day to join the leaders on -16
Despite the beauty of the El Cardonal course that is playing host to the players this week, its layout is a birdie paradise and it isn’t surprising that many players were able to catapult themselves into contention yesterday.
One man able to make the most of the generous scoring conditions was Justin Lower.
Despite a top ten finish at the Procore Championship last month, few would have seen Lower as a winner this week. Heading into this tournament with two missed cuts and two low finishes in his last four starts, Lower started the week as 95 in the FedEx Fall Standings and although his status in the top 125 was more or less assured, he could be forgiven for taking a few nervous glances over his shoulder.
Getting his third round off to a solid start with a birdie on the par 5 first, a further birdie would follow on the fourth with a third on the sixth.
Able to make pars until the turn, his round would burst into life on the back nine. He would post three birdies on the tenth, thirteenth and fourteenth holes and another would follow on the 17th. Finding himself up with the leaders, he would ensure that he would tee off in the final group when he drained an eagle on the final hole to post a brilliant round of 63.
Yet to win a PGA Tour title, he will be hoping to carry on the momentum gained from his play yesterday and secure his PGA Tour status for the next two seasons with a memorable victory.
Who else could play a part today?
Although it looks likely that the title will land between the three winners that we have highlighted, as the last three days have shown, there are plenty of birdies to be found today and realistically anybody within 5 strokes will still quietly fancy their chances.
Max Greyserman held the lead through the first two rounds but yielded it yesterday when he could only post a three under round of 69.
Still a closing birdie on the last yesterday will see him tee off just one behind the leaders and with three second place finishes in his last five starts, he will still be confident of winning a first ever PGA Tour title here.
After an up and down opening round Austin Eckroat has played two great rounds and will be delighted that he will start today just one stroke back.
His six under 66 yesterday was bogey free and with the memories of his win at the 2024 Cognizant Classic still fresh in his memory, he could start today as the one player that the rest of the field will need to keep a real eye on.
If looking further down the field than Daniel Berger could be a name to focus on. Starting yesterday two spots outside of the coveted 125 in 127, Berger produced one of his best rounds of the year with an eight under 64.
Now just four shots off the leaders and with his performance yesterday elevating him into 119 in the standings, he will hope to kick on even further today and secure his playing rights for next season.
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
