Sepp Straka of Austria has been pretty much flawless so far in The American Express, but he’ll have to overcome the toughest of the tournament’s three courses to capture the win.
Straka shot 8-under-par 64 for the second day in a row to surge to the lead on Saturday at La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, Calif. He’s at 23 under and will take a four-stroke lead to Sunday’s final round on Pete Day Stadium Course.
“No lead is safe,” said Straka, who will be aiming for his first PGA Tour victory since the 2023 John Deere Classic and his third overall. “You’ve just got to keep hitting your spots, and you’ve really got to strike the ball well out there.”
Straka’s third round included 6 under through nine holes as he started on the backside. He tallied two more birdies on Nos. 5 and 6 and sank a 10-foot par putt on No. 8 to check off another bogey-free card.
Straka has recorded a par or birdie on all 54 holes played in the tournament. Two other golfers entered Saturday’s play without a bogey, but now it’s only Straka.
Second-round co-leader Charley Hoffman (69), Justin Lower (68) and Australia’s Jason Day (67) share second place at 19 under.
That trio all played the Stadium course Saturday in the tournament’s unique setup, which has golfers play each of the first three rounds on a different course. Pete Dye Stadium, La Quinta Country Club and the Nicklaus Tournament Course each present a par-72 layout to narrow the field for the final round.
Hoffman hasn’t posted a victory since 2016. Lower has never won on the tour but had five top-10 finishes in 2024. Day has 13 wins but none since May 2023.
“I don’t play this game to try and make cuts and finish in the top 100,” said Hoffman, who notched the first of his four PGA Tour victories in this event 18 years ago, when it was known as the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. “I try to win golf tournaments. You can only do it if you’re in position (in the final round).”
Patrick Cantlay (66, Stadium), who finished with three straight birdies, and Mark Hubbard (69, La Quinta) share fifth at 18 under. Justin Thomas (68, Stadium) is in seventh at 17 under, while Max Greyserman (65, Stadium) and Daniel Berger (65, La Quinta) are at 16 under and tied for eighth place.
Greyserman had one of the day’s highlights with an eagle 2 from the 10th fairway.
The Philippines’ Rico Hoey, who shared the top spot when Friday’s play concluded, slumped to a tie for 17th at 14 under after a 74 on the Stadium course. First-round leader J.T. Poston (64, La Quinta) is also at 14 under.
The cut for this tournament, which involves play on three courses, comes after 54 holes. Golfers needed to be at 9 under or better to advance.
That means that 17-year-old Blades Brown, who shot 64 on Friday as he competed in his first PGA Tour event, won’t play Sunday. He posted 74 during Saturday’s round on the Pete Dye Stadium Course, putting him at 6 under 210 for the tournament.
Brown called golf “a weird and funny game” while he appreciated the chance to compete.
“I’m going to keep my head up,” Brown said. “This is going to sting a little bit, but looking forward to what’s next. … I’m thankful and grateful to be here. This has been so much fun competing on the PGA Tour.”
Brown said he’ll enter the Monday qualifier to try to earn a spot in next week’s Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.
–Field Level Media
