The toughest tournament to defend

Here are nine tidbits from the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. The Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Florida, plays 7,419 yards (par 72). The Final Group Henrik Stenson opened with a 64 and hasn’t looked back. After sharing the 36-hole lead with Bryson DeChambeau, his lead is one (-12, 204) as he looks to claim his first title at Bay Hill. History is not in his corner as the only European to lift the title in 39 previous events was Martin Laird in 2011. Stenson had the 54-hole lead in 2015 but couldn’t hold off Matt Every as he finished second. His worst final round score in his last five Sundays at Bay Hill is 71. … DeChambeau hasn’t finished outside the top five in his last four tournaments where he’s been tied or one back of the 36-hole lead so I wouldn’t expect him to fade tomorrow. He said his WD last week was due to not getting enough rest. After having the last tee time Saturday and playing in the last group tomorrow, I would suggest he would be fresh and ready to go. Rising Rory With only four bogeys and a double this week, it looks like Rory McIlroy is turning up the heat with the Masters right around the corner. His ball-striking came to life on Saturday but it continues to be the flatstick that keeps his momentum rolling. He’s second this week in Strokes Gained: Putting on lightning-fast TifEagle greens. He’s closed the last three years 70, 65 and 69 last year so I’m expecting something in that neighborhood tomorrow. His 67 is his lowest round of the year in the States and only trails by two. Rose Blooming Justin Rose leads the field with 19 birdies and six of those were circled on Saturday against just one bogey as he posted 67. Rose has also been close here before as he shared the 36-hole lead in 2013 before finishing second to Tiger Woods. Gamers will be expecting a big finish tomorrow after not being able to close the deal from the final group last week at Valspar. He played with and beat Woods by two shots Saturday to move up 13 spots to T4. #Trending. Been There, Done That Speaking of Woods, the eight-time champion needed a low one Saturday to get back into the fight. His 69 was solid but finds him five shots off Stenson’s lead. He’ll need to equal or match his lowest closing round, 66, tomorrow to have any kind of a chance. He won’t get any help from the weather, as it’s forecasted to be perfect again. It’s also unlikely that ALL of the premium players in front of him will fall apart. I’m interested to see if he can put the pedal to the metal when he knows that’s what it’s going to take to win. Running Down a Dream There are only two players in the top 10 that haven’t won on TOUR, rookie Talor Gooch (T6) and Bud Cauley (T10). Since 1995, the only two winners to earn their maiden win on TOUR at this event have been Paul Goydos (1996) and Matt Every (2014). The odds aren’t stacked in their favor, especially with the household names in front of them on the leaderboard, but I’m interested to see how they handle the big stage. Rickie Don’t Lose That Number After sitting just one shot off Stenson’s lead with two holes to play, Rickie Fowler played the final two holes 3-over-par. He’ll start four shots back (T6) as he looks to add only his second top-10 finish at Bay Hill in seven events. Gamers don’t need to be reminded that his only other top 10 in five starts this year was T4 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Repeat After Me Hey look, another very solid round from Ryan Moore! He backed up his Friday 67 with his lowest round in this event on Saturday in seven tries with 69. Of his previous six Sunday rounds at Bay Hill the best of the bunch is 70. It’s also the only one in red figures. His ball-striking suggests he could improve on that number tomorrow. Moving Day The warmer temperatures helped the early guys get off to flying starts. John Huh has never MC at Bay Hill but he’s also never collected a check for better than T27. He’ll have a chance tomorrow after his 66 moved him up 48 spots to T18. He has just as many rounds in the 80s on Sunday as he does under par (two each) at Bay Hill. … Austin Cook shared the low round of the day with Huh and also shared the biggest jump, 48 spots. After making four birdies in the first two rounds he circled eight on Saturday, confirming he’s a quick study in his first event at Bay Hill. … Jason Day’s ailment(s) from Friday didn’t carry over on to his scorecard Saturday as his 67 vaulted him to T18 as well. The 2016 wire-to-wire champion is probably too far behind to win but another low one will reward investors in every format. Moving Day: Wrong Way 2016 U.S. Amateur champ Curtis Luck reinforced how difficult Bay Hill can be for the youngsters. He sat T11 after 71-68 but 74 in Round 3 knocked him down 24 spots to T35. Astute gamers know this is only his 11th start on TOUR as a pro and will remember he was T5 at the Quicken Loans National and T20 at The Greenbrier last summer. … Luke List gave back all of the ground he made up with Friday’s 67 with 74 on Saturday to knock him out of the top 10. He’s currently T28 but T26 is his worst payday in his last five. I’d expect a positive reaction tomorrow. Study Hall Patrick Reed has rinsed five balls in the drink this week. He’s also made 18 birdies and sits T10. … Sam Horsfield (68), Brian Stuard (68) and Graeme McDowell (69) signed for the only bogey-free rounds of the day. One of those is not like the others. Round 3 played under par at 71.260, by far the easiest of the week. … Tweet of the Day

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Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau finally took their feud to the golf course. It didn’t go well for DeChambeau. From the trash talk to the storytelling from commentators Charles Barkley and Phil Mickelson, we have you covered.

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico - Adam Long's wife Emily gave birth to the couple's first child, son Trevor, in late April. The PGA TOUR was in the midst of a three-month shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The golf world was on hold. Players, caddies and industry professionals waited in anticipation of not only when the TOUR would return, but how things would look upon its return. RELATED: JT goes low, moves into contention in Mexico All the while, Long was adapting to life as a new dad, learning how to balance his practice schedule with fatherhood. At age 33, Long has a long list of life experiences in his memory bank. After turning pro in 2010, he navigated various mini-tours and the Korn Ferry Tour before earning his first TOUR card for the 2018-19 season. The first time he contended on TOUR, The American Express in 2019, he made birdie on the 72nd hole to defeat Phil Mickelson and Adam Hadwin by a stroke. Fatherhood presented an opportunity for more new experiences, amidst the backdrop of COVID-19. "A lot of selflessness," reflected Long after a third-round 63 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN, playing his way into contention for his second TOUR title. "A lot of time management, organization. At home, I need to practice, but I also really want to spend time with Trevor and Emily. "Being able to prioritize some things ... it's taught me, more than anything, what matters. It makes this feel more like a game and a hobby, whatever you want to call it, but less of work. It's less stressful, because we have a newborn at home. Nothing else matters. Whatever happens in golf, it's great, but we have way more priorities now." The Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN marks the final FedExCup event of the 2020 calendar year, putting a bow on the TOUR's comeback that has seen 26 events contested since the Return to Golf in June, beginning at the Charles Schwab Challenge and spanning through this week at El Camaleon GC. The 2019-20 FedExCup winner (Dustin Johnson) was crowned. Three major championships were contested, with champions Collin Morikawa (PGA Championship), Bryson DeChambeau (U.S. Open) and Johnson (Masters Tournament). After the Mayakoba Golf Classic winner is crowned on Sunday, the FedExCup schedule will be put on hold until the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January. As players moved into contention on a gentle Saturday amidst the Mayakoba mangroves, they expressed an appreciation for the opportunity to play this game for a living - reflecting back on the uncertainty prevalent during the pandemic hiatus. "We spent a good amount of time wondering what it would be like if we didn't come back to play golf," reflected Emiliano Grillo, who carded a third-round, 3-under 68 at El Camaleon to assume a one-stroke lead (16-under) into Sunday. "As golfers, we needed to start thinking about what we were going to do if it wasn't for golf. I think everybody was happy that we saw that we were going to come back, and how things are evolving and going the right direction right now." "I would say more than anything, just grateful for the opportunities we have," added Tom Hoge, who made five birdies in his final six holes Saturday to card 6-under 65 and move within one stroke of Grillo (15-under) into Championship Sunday. "I'm not very good at going at home and sitting on the couch for a few months. That was a long time for us to be off, not knowing when we were playing again next." For Viktor Hovland, the hiatus represented a chance to fine-tune his approach to practice on non-tournament weeks. The 23-year-old Norwegian admitted that full commitment on a practice day could be hit-or-miss in his early days as a pro. The pandemic hiatus provided time to think critically about his strategies and make necessary adjustments. "My personality trait is not great with moderation," said Hovland after a third-round 63 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, moving into solo third place at 14-under. "I looked at that period to try to get better and try to get my life straight ... I've become a little bit more disciplined and gotten some better routines in. "Making sure that if I'm going to go practice, it's not just, ‘OK, I'll hit balls for 30 minutes and play nine holes and call it a day.' It's more aim toward improving. You show up to the golf course with a purpose." An ethos of prioritization shared by Long, who began the third round in Mexico in a tie for 20th, but moved into solo fourth place with an 8-under 63. Long stands three back of Grillo, well positioned to take aim at his second TOUR title. As the contenders prepare for the final FedExCup round of an unprecedented year, they maintain a consistent appreciation for the opportunity to chase TOUR titles. "There's nothing like it," said Long of TOUR contention. "It's so fun to play out here, let alone have some chances on the weekends and some Sundays where if the right things go your way, you can win a golf tournament. "I'm definitely living out a dream, there's no doubt. It's been a heck of a ride."

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