MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dustin Johnson has the opportunity to move back to No. 1 in the world with a win at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. There’s also the momentum that comes from winning the week before a major championship. Johnson admits all those things would be nice, but he’s not worried about them at the moment. “[Winning] kind of takes care of itself,” Johnson said. “Tomorrow I’m going to go out and just stick to my game plan, make good shots and obviously win the golf tournament, and then it’s a little bit of a bonus to go back to No. 1.” Outside of Andrew Putnam, no one in the field has a better chance to win on Sunday than Johnson. Five shots clear of the field with Putnam, at 15 under, Johnson noted the two players essentially control their own destiny tomorrow, setting up what could amount to a match-play scenario, unless one of the pursuers posts a low round. “If I go out tomorrow and play really good golf, probably going to win,” Johnson said. “If I don’t, I’m sure Andrew’s going to beat me, he’s playing really good right now. It’s pretty simple.” Johnson most recently converted a 54-hole lead/co-lead at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and has a chance to record multiple TOUR victories for the third consecutive season with a win in Memphis. He wasn’t able to replicate his second-round 63 — a round that featured seven birdies and an eagle — but still posted the second-lowest round of the day with a 65 that included an opening birdie and four more on the back nine to come home in 31. Johnson had a few miscues off the tee during the third round, including a tee shot that found the rough on the 9th that led to his lone bogey of the day. But he managed to limit the mistakes, even finding a way to salvage par on the 3rd when his tee shot found the hazard. “I felt like I played really well today,” Johnson said. “I hit a couple bad drivers, but out here it’s pretty easy to do, these fairways are narrow. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in the golf game right now. I feel like I’m swinging really well, I’ve got a lot of control on my golf ball and that’s what you’re looking for going into any week, especially tomorrow and obviously next week.” Johnson has never been short on confidence. If he can somehow find a way to ride that wave of confidence on Sunday, there’s a good chance he could leave TPC Southwind with some new hardware. NOTABLES Andrew Putnam was one of four players to make a birdie on TPC Southwind’s 18th hole during the third round. The putt earned him a share of the lead and a spot in the last group with Dustin Johnson. Putnam has only recorded one bogey through 54 holes en route to back-to-back 64’s. He’s now shot 65 or better in four of his last eight rounds. “I’ve earned my way here and I feel like it’s going to be a fun day,” Putnam said. Stewart Cink had a feeling his tee shot on the par-3 8th might go in when it was halfway to the hole. He was right. The ace was the highlight of an impressive 64 that moved Cink to within five shots of Johnson and Putnam. “When the ball was halfway to the hole I was thinking this is the one because there’s been a little drought, but it landed on the green in a perfect place and the hole swallowed it up,” Cink said. Mid-tournament swing changes can be hit-or-miss. For Braden Thornberry, a minor adjustment — he was “spinning out” with his hips — after an opening-round 73 made all the difference in the world the last two days. Thornberry followed his 66 with a 65 on Saturday, starting the round with five birdies on his opening nine. The amateur will begin Sunday in a tie for 10th after finishing T4 last season. “I’m looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and doing something similar to today,” he said. Brooks Koepka, Steve Stricker and Henrik Stenson all posted sub-70 rounds on Saturday. Stenson (5 under) shot 66 to move up 21 spots on the leaderboard while Stricker (6 under) and Koepka (6 under) posted 68 and 69. Koepka hit just 5 fairways and 7 greens during the third round. Richy Werenski was the only player in the field to hit 17 greens on Saturday. The strong ball-striking round produced a 66, the lowest round of his rookie campaign. Werenski is making his 23rd start this week, the most of any player on the PGA TOUR this season. QUOTABLES It’s going to feel a little different than the typical Sunday round of golf, but I’m excited for it. SUPERLATIVES Low round: Andrew Putnam and Stewart Cink shot 6-under 64. Longest drive: Dustin Johnson with a 355-yard drive on the par-4 7th hole. Longest putt: Parker McLachlin with a putt of 50 feet, 1 inch for birdie on the par-4 9th hole. Hardest hole: The 453-yard par-4 18th, which played to a stroke average of 4.347, with just 4 birdies on Saturday. Easiest hole: The 530-yard par-5 16th, which played to a stroke average of 4.542, with 36 birdies on Saturday. Greens in regulation: Richy Werenski hit 17 greens. CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY
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