India’s Anirban Lahiri recovered from a nightmarish start to finish with a one-under 71 in the third round at the World Wide Technology Golf Championship at Mayakoba, Mexico.
Lahiri, who shot 67-66 on the first two days, dropped a bogey and a double bogey on the second and third holes. He managed to salvage the day with five birdies before ending with a late bogey. He was 10-under after the third day and occupied the tied-17th position.
Playing in the same group as Lahiri, defending champion Viktor Hovland had four birdies on the front nine and five on the back nine, including two on 17 and 18 for a nine-under 62. At 19-under, Hovland has a two-shot lead over Talor Gooch.
‘Horror start’
Lahiri was disappointed with the round, but happy to have recovered from where he was after three holes. “I actually felt really good (before the round), but got off to a horror start. Lost my concentration on the second hole and made a bad swing on the third hole and kind of compounded some errors. To be 3-over after three on this golf course, you’re putting yourself in a really tough spot. Especially that front nine is where you have to try and maximize.”
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Lahiri said he gathered himself and clawed his way back in time. “After the third hole I played pretty solid, more like how I’ve been playing. A little frustrating to finish weak. Hit an average shot on 16 and got a really bad lie in the bunker, got plugged.
“Then on 17 I hit a good drive and didn’t capitalise after having a pretty good look at birdie. So all in all it’s quite disappointing.”
Asked how he could make up on the final day, Lahiri said, “If you’re playing your A-game, you can shoot anything. It was a pleasure going out with Viktor (Hovland) today. He didn’t putt that well, to be honest. He could have shot 59 today as easily as he shot a 62.
“That's what this golf course allows you to do. You get off to a good start, build that momentum and try and keep making birdies and just go as low as you can.”
Hovland is bidding for his third PGA Tour title and leads by two strokes over Gooch (63), and he is three clear of Justin Thomas (64). Matthew Wolff, who was two shots clear after 36 holes, made a pair of bogeys early and had only one birdie in his 73. Scottie Scheffler had a good start but a double bogey on the 14th pushed him seven behind.
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