ESPN predictions: Who will win The Open?

LAS VEGAS — Kevin Na matched his career-low Saturday with a 10-under 61 on a day of low scoring in Las Vegas to build a two-shot lead over Patrick Cantlay in the Shiners Hospitals for Children Open. Na was pumping his fist after every putt down the stretch at the TPC Summerlin, which yielded six scores of 63 or better. Na, who lives in Las Vegas and won the 2011 event for his first PGA TOUR title, set the tournament’s 54-hole record at 22-under 191. Cantlay was staying with him until he failed to get up-and-down from a bunker on the reachable par-4 15th and made bogey from the bunker on the par-3 17th. He closed with a 15-foot birdie putt for a 63. Cantlay won the tournament two years ago and was runner-up last year. Pat Perez had a 62 and was four shots behind. Sam Ryder (64) and Lucas Glover (66) were another shot back. Conditions were warm and calm, ideal for scoring and it showed. Tony Finau had a 62 to take the lead as the final groups were teeing off. He finished the day seven shots behind. Denny McCarthy and Luke List each posted 63. “It’s hard to look at some of those numbers when you haven’t even teed off — you see 8s and 9s (under) out there — and not play impatient,” Ryder said after a bogey on the 18th for his 64. Na and Cantlay came out firing. Na has been doing his damage on the greens. In each of the last two grounds, he has gained an average of about 5.5 strokes on the field in putting and leads the tournament in that key statistical category. He doesn’t see any change for Sunday, when he goes for his second victory of the year. Na won at Colonial in May. “Still got to keep the pedal to the metal. Anyone can shoot 8 or 9 under,” Na said. “I believe we’re going to get a little more wind tomorrow. Got to go out and post a good number.” Na also shot 61 in the 2010 Wyndham Championship and at Colonial in 2018. He posted this number even with a par on the 16th hole, the par 5 over water that played as the easiest on the TPC Summerlin. His tee shot was blocked by a tree and he had to lay up short of the water, but he hit wedge to a tight pin on the front of the green to about 4 feet. Cantlay had six birdies on the tougher front nine — none longer than the 8-foot range, three of them tap-ins — for the lead. Na played in the group ahead, made birdie on the 10th to tie and then pulled away in the final hour. Na drove to the back of the 15th green and converted the long two-putt birdie from just off the green with a 6-footer. Cantlay put it in the right bunker and missed his 8-foot birdie putt. That was the separation Na needed, and he stretched it with a pair of closing birdies. The average score was 67.75. Low scores weren’t available to just anyone. Phil Mickelson started the third round just four shots behind and was 5 over through 11 holes. He rallied with a few birdies to salvage a 74.

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HUMBLE, Texas — Ian Poulter won for the first time in six years on TOUR and booked his place in the Masters field with a sudden-death playoff victory over Beau Hossler on Sunday at the Houston Open.  Down one on the last hole of regulation, Poulter stuck his approach to 19 feet and drained the putt to force extra holes. The Odyssey #7 putter he used to make the putt was recently called out of retirement at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play following a lengthy run in Poulter’s bag that included a memorable performance on the final day of the 2012 Ryder Cup.  “It’s not going anywhere anytime soon,” Poulter said about the putter after the win.  Poulter ranked 19th in strokes gained: putting for the week with the flat stick and said earlier in the week that going back to the putter gave him no excuses due to the success he’d had with it in the past.  “When you’re tinkering, messing, trying, when you grab something that you know has done wonderful things, you have to take the onus then because you know it’s not the putter, it’s generally the person holding it,” Poulter said. “So I could go out, not blame anyone else and really try and find some good mojo, some good memories, some good feelings like I’ve had with that and take on the course because my game’s in shape and I just need to hole a few putts and it’s happening.” Here’s a look at Poulter’s entire equipment setup: Driver: Titleist 917D2 (Mitsubishi Tensei Orange CK 60TX shaft), 9.5 degrees 3-wood: Titleist 917F2 (Matrix Ozik TP7HDe 7X shaft), 16.5 degrees Hybrid: Titleist 816 H2 (Aldila Tour Green ATX85H TX shaft), 21 degrees Irons: Titleist 716 T-MB (4-iron; Project X LZ 130 7.0shaft), Titleist 718 AP2 (5-PW; Project X LZ 130 7.0 shafts) Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (52.12F, 56.14F and 60.04L degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts) Putter: Odyssey #7  Ball: Titleist Pro V1x PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE: Buy equipment here

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A rising Korn Ferry Tour star and the roommate of a TOUR rookie are among this week’s qualifiers for The RSM Classic in coastal Georgia. Akshay Bhatia (62), Bryson Nimmer (63), Brett Drewitt (65) and Conner Godsey (65) earned spots in the field at Sea Island GC via Monday’s four-spot qualifier at Brunswick CC. With his girlfriend Presleigh Schultz on the bag, Bhatia delivered a signature performance to earn a spot in this week’s field. The 20-year-old began the calendar year of competition with a win at the Korn Ferry Tour’s The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay in January, and he’ll aim to conclude the year with a bookend sterling showing. Temperatures hovered in the high 50s and low 60s Monday, with wind strength reaching double-digit mph, but Bhatia was up to the challenge. “I’ve done this Monday so many times, and today I just knew I was going to do it,” Bhatia said. “It was freezing, and for whatever reason, I always play well with (Presleigh) and I always feel super comfortable … Couldn’t really feel my hands, trying to stabilize the putter as much as I could. “I haven’t played much this offseason. Not to get my card last year was tough, but to play this event this week, it will be great. I’ve played here before, I love this golf course and I know a bunch of people here.” This marked the final PGA TOUR qualifier of the 2022 calendar year. The next open event on TOUR will be the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. In all, 104 players competed for four spots in this week’s field. Click here for all scores from the qualifier. Here’s a capsule look at the four Monday qualifiers for The RSM Classic … Akshay Bhatia (62) Age: 20 Hometown: Wake Forest, North Carolina PGA TOUR starts: 19 Cuts made: 5 Best PGA TOUR finish: T9, 2020 Fortinet Championship Notes: Carded nine birdies against one bogey Monday, with girlfriend Presleigh Schultz on the bag … Holds full 2023 Korn Ferry Tour status after finishing No. 30 on 2022 season-long standings. Won season-opening The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay in January with Presleigh also on the bag … Also competed in last month’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship on TOUR, finishing T17 … Korean barbecue enthusiast. Bryson Nimmer (63) Age: 26 Hometown: Bluffton, South Carolina Alma mater: Clemson PGA TOUR starts: 10 Cuts made: 6 Best PGA TOUR finish: T11, 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship Notes: Carded five birdies and an eagle Monday, and he was without a bogey … Lives with TOUR rookie Ben Griffin in St. Simons Island, Georgia, down the street from Sea Island GC … Made three cuts in five TOUR starts last season, including a closing 65 for a T11 in Punta Cana … Made four cuts in seven starts on 2022 PGA TOUR Canada … Four-time first-team All-ACC selection at Clemson, joining Jonathan Byrd and D.J. Trahan as Clemson men’s golfers to accomplish the feat … Boating enthusiast. Brett Drewitt (65) Age: 31 Hometown: Taree, Australia PGA TOUR starts: 44 Cuts made: 17 Best PGA TOUR finish: T25, 2018 Fortinet Championship Notes: Carded seven bogeys Monday against two bogeys … Held 2022 PGA TOUR membership, making seven cuts in 23 starts and finishing No. 219 on the FedExCup … Has made 150 career Korn Ferry Tour starts, including a victory at the 2020 Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS … Twice earned PGA TOUR card via Korn Ferry Tour; 2016 Finals and 2020-21 Regular Season … Cricket enthusiast. Conner Godsey (65) Age: 30 Hometown: Rogersville, Alabama Alma mater: University of Montevallo PGA TOUR starts: 0 Notes: Made six birdies against one bogey Monday to earn his first career PGA TOUR start … Played 2022 Korn Ferry Tour, making 12 cuts in 22 starts and finishing No. 113 on the season-long standings. Best finish was T10 at The Ascendant presented by Blue in July … Finished T3 at PGA TOUR Canada’s CRMC Championship presented by Gertens in August … Finished No. 3 on 2020-21 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Totalplay Cup, winning Banco del Pacifico Open in June 2021.

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