Cameron Champ goes under the hood off the course

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Webb Simpson has already etched his name into THE PLAYERS Championship record book. He’s tied the course record, as well as the 36-hole and 54-hole scoring records, in this week’s impressive performance. Now he has a couple more records within reach. Greg Norman shot the lowest 72-hole score in PLAYERS history in 1994. Simpson needs to shoot 67 on Sunday to tie Norman’s winning score of 24-under 264. Steve Elkington had the largest winning margin in tournament history when he won the 1997 PLAYERS by seven shots. Simpson takes a seven-shot lead into Sunday’s final round after shooting 68 to reach 19-under 197. Danny Lee (70) is in second place. Dustin Johnson, the World No. 1, is the only other player staring at a single-digit deficit. “I feel like I’m playing good, solid golf, but … I’ve holed out a few times from off the green and made some long putts,� Simpson said. “To get that score, you have to do that.� Simpson leads the field in both Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green (+5.37) and Strokes Gained: Putting (+9.77). His third hole-out came Saturday at the par-5 11th, where he holed a 33-yard bunker shot for eagle. It was his second eagle of the week. He’s also made 20 birdies. No one has ever lost a seven-shot lead on the PGA TOUR. Seven players have lost six-shot leads. Johnson did it earlier this season at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions. If there is a course where such a deficit could be overcome, it may be the penal Stadium Course, especially with its water-lined finishing holes. Alex Cejka holds the record for largest 54-hole lead in PLAYERS history, but he didn’t walk away with the Waterford crystal trophy after shooting a final-round 79. Fortunately for Simpson, some of the hardest hole locations have already been used this week. But the course will play firm and fast and the late tee time means he’ll likely have to deal with afternoon breezes. “On Sunday, you’ve got to give the course a little more respect,� Simpson said. That’s true, but Simpson commands respect for his record-setting performance thus far this week. STARS SHOOT LOW SCORES Tiger Woods teed off at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Jordan Spieth teed off 40 minutes earlier. Both ended the day in the top 10. After making the cut on the number, they took advantage of calmer morning conditions to shoot Saturday’s low scores (65). Both players will start the final round at 8 under par, 11 shots behind Simpson. Woods, who hit 15 greens Saturday and gained 2.3 strokes with his approach play, said better iron play helped him birdie eight of his first 12 holes. Woods didn’t make a birdie on the final six holes, though, and bogeyed the 14th. Still, the 65 was his lowest career round at THE PLAYERS Championship. (Click here to read more about Woods’ round) “I felt I had better control of hitting it right-to-left and left-to-right,� said Woods, who’s playing his first PLAYERS since 2015. “I was able to shape the golf ball both ways and started to control it a little bit better today.� Spieth attributed his success to a strong performance with the putter, the club that has frustrated him most this year. Spieth needed just 24 putts Saturday and made all 18 of his attempts from inside 15 feet. He was 10-for-10 from 3-7 feet and made both his attempts from 7-10 feet. “Sometimes this game can kind of tear you down and make you think some of the best parts of your game are some of the worst of your game, when really it’s so close,� said Spieth, who finished fourth in his PLAYERS debut but had missed the cut at the previous three PLAYERS. NOTABLES Johnson may be the world’s top-ranked player, but his position through 54 holes could be a bit of a surprise. He has never finished in the top 10 at TPC Sawgrass, but he will start the final round in third place after shooting 69 on Saturday. Last year’s T12 was his first top 25 in nine starts at TPC Sawgrass. He shared the first-round lead this year after shooting his career-low round at the Stadium Course, a 6-under 66. He is fifth in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee this week and 12th in Strokes Gained: Putting. After winning last week’s Wells Fargo Championship, Jason Day is in fourth place at THE PLAYERS Championship. The 2016 champion shot 71 on Saturday and sits at 9-under 207. FedExCup leader Justin Thomas shot 68 to move up to 33rd place at 5-under 211. QUOTABLES It’s a hard golf course to press on.You just have to keep doing what you are doing. Every par, every birdie, every hole is one step closer to the finish line.If you take Webb out of the equation, the golf course is playing about like it always does. SHOT OF THE DAY CALL OF THE DAY SUPERLATIVES Low round: 7-under 65 by Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth. Longest drive: 359 yards. Dustin Johnson on the Par-5 9th and Ryan Palmer on the Par-4 5th. Longest putt: 72-feet, eight inches. MacKenzie Hughes impressed playing partner Tiger Woods with a birdie bomb on the par-3 8th hole. Toughest hole: Par-4 14th played to 4.488with just one birdie all day. Easiest hole: Par-5 16th averaged 4.500 with an eagle, 43 birdies and just five bogeys. New Records: Webb Simpson tied Greg Norman for best 54-hole score at 19-under 197. He also holds largest 54-hole lead in PLAYERS history.

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Two NCAA Division II Players of the Year, a former Pepperdine standout and a four-time TOUR winner will compete this week on TOUR as open qualifiers. The Butterfield Bermuda Championship open qualifier was conducted Oct. 17, with 65 players competing for four spots in this week’s field at Port Royal GC in Bermuda. Qualifying were Chandler Blanchet (64), Clay Feagler (65), John VanDerLaan and Aaron Baddeley. VanDerLaan and Baddeley survived a 6-for-2 playoff at 5-under 66; the odd men out were Garett Reband, Alex Weiss, Ben Kohles and Justin Doeden. Here’s a capsule look at the four Monday qualifiers for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship: Chandler Blanchet (7-under 64) Age: 27 Hometown: Gainesville, Florida Alma mater: University of West Florida PGA TOUR starts: 0 Notes: Made five birdies and an eagle in qualifier to secure his first PGA TOUR start … Has made 53 career Korn Ferry Tour starts, highlighted by a T4 at the 2020 LECOM Suncoast Classic, into which he Monday qualified as a conditional member. Fell short at First Stage of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School last month … Won 2019 Sao Paulo Golf Club Championship on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, including a second-round 61 … Taco enthusiast who aspires to own a coffee/taco shop one day … Won 2017 Jack Nicklaus Award as top player in NCAA Division II men’s golf. Clay Feagler (6-under 65) Age: 24 Hometown: Newport Beach, California Alma mater: Pepperdine PGA TOUR starts: 0 Notes: Overcame a double bogey on third hole of qualifier with eight birdies, earning his first TOUR start … Competed full-time on 2022 Korn Ferry Tour, recording five top-25s in 22 starts and finishing No. 82 on the Points List. He’ll compete at Final Stage of Q-School next week with the aim of earning guaranteed starts in 2023; he holds conditional status at minimum … Competed at Pepperdine alongside second-year TOUR member Sahith Theegala … Mom Caryn has memorably caddied for him on Korn Ferry Tour. Aaron Baddeley (5-under 66; advanced via playoff) Age: 41 Hometown: Lebanon, New Hampshire (raised in Australia) Alma mater: N/A PGA TOUR starts: 477 Cuts made: 283 Best PGA TOUR finish: Win (2006 RBC Heritage; 2007 WM Phoenix Open; 2011 Genesis Invitational; 2016 Barbasol Championship) Notes: Budding Monday qualifying specialist also four-spotted into Fortinet Championship last month … Made three birdies and an eagle against no bogeys to earn spot in Bermuda qualifier playoff … Holds TOUR Past Champion status after failing to improve status via Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Earned fully exempt 2023 Korn Ferry Tour status via “floor of five” category in Finals … Long renowned as one of the game’s premier putters … Recently began working with putting coach John Graham, who also works with Justin Thomas … Split time between the PGA TOUR (13 starts) and Korn Ferry Tour (11 starts) last season. John VanDerLaan (5-under 66; advanced via playoff) Age: 26 Hometown: Southbury, Connecticut Alma mater: Florida Southern PGA TOUR starts: 1 Cuts made: 1 Best PGA TOUR finish: T31, 2018 Barbasol Championship Notes: A veteran presence on the Korn Ferry Tour, having kept his card in both the 2020-21 and 2022 seasons. Finished No. 47 on 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season Points List with 18 made cuts in 24 starts, including seven top-25 finishes … Made five birdies against no bogeys to earn a spot in qualifier playoff … Was named 2018 Jack Nicklaus Award winner as top player in NCAA Division II men’s golf … Won 2018 Connecticut Open at same course, New Haven CC, that got him started in golf … Earliest golf memory is eating animal crackers with Billy Andrade at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut; VanDerLaan was 5 years old at the time.

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