Sam Burns cards career-low 62 to take AT&T Byron Nelson lead

Dustin Johnson defends the first of back-to-back World Golf Championships titles as the event, formerly based in Miami, makes its second visit to the Mexico City suburbs. Justin Rose, who chased down Johnson to win the WGC HSBC Champions last fall, ends a four-week break with an eye on becoming the third man in history to claim back-to-back WGCs. Jon Rahm, third a year ago, and reigning FedExCup champ Justin Thomas also highlight a small-but-solid WGC lineup. FIELD NOTES: The roster currently stands at 64, though that will grow with any late qualifiers. … Current FedExCup leader Patton Kizzire is assured of being added off the current points list, along with anyone who cracks the top 10 following the Honda Classic. … Adam Scott, now outside the world’s top 50 for the first time since 2001, has an outside chance of sliding back in with a good weekend at Honda. … India’s Shubhankar Sharma, twice a European Tour winner in its new season, is among eight entrants teeing it up in their WGC debuts. … Brett Rumford, the 2017 Australasian Tour money leader, makes his first WGC start since 2014. … Abraham Ancer gains a berth as the top Mexican in the world rankings. He’s in his second PGA TOUR season. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 550 points. STORYLINES: Johnson, who also prevailed three years ago in Miami, seeks a Mexican repeat and a third victory in a four-year span. He was a runaway winner at Kapalua, but found his quest for a third Pebble Beach crown derailed by Ted Potter Jr. … Tiger Woods, you’ll recall, owns a trio of three-peats at WGC stops. … A Rose triumph would allow him to join Woods and Johnson as the only men to win consecutive WGC starts. His victory in China was the first of three in the final two months of 2017, but he hasn’t teed it up since a tie for eighth at the Farmers Insurance Open. … Rahm has a pair of top-3 finishes in four WGC starts, including a loss to Johnson in last year’s WGC Dell Match Play final. … Contributing to the small roster is the absence of five names among the top 13 in the rankings, including Farmers winner Jason Day and Rory McIlroy. COURSE: Club de Golf Chapultepec, 7,330 yards, par 71. A debutant on the WGC scene last year, the club on Mexico City’s affluent outskirts celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2018. Construction was interrupted by the Mexican Revolution and led to architect Willie Smith – the 1899 U.S. Open winner – passing away in 1916 without seeing the course finished. Smith’s brother Alex took over the project and saw it to completion. The Mexican Open got its start at Chapultepec in 1944, remaining as host until 1960 when the tournament began rotating sites. A Percy Clifford redesign in 1972 made significant changes, with more upgrades were made ahead of its WGC introduction. 72-HOLE RECORD: 261, Tiger Woods (2006 at The Grove). Chapultepec record: 270, Dustin Johnson (2017). 18-HOLE RECORD: 62, Sergio Garcia and Retief Goosen (both 4th round, 2002 at Mount Juliet), Bubba Watson (2nd round, 2012 at Trump Doral), J.B. Holmes (1st round, 2015 at Trump Doral). Chapultepec record: 63, Jordan Spieth (3rd round, 2017). LAST YEAR: Johnson captured his fourth WGC title in his first start since ascending to No.1 in the rankings, holding steady down the stretch after a four-shot lead turned to a one-shot deficit. Jon Rahm used an eagle and two birdies after the turn to move in front, but Johnson pulled even with a birdie at No.15 and parred his way home for a closing 68. Rahm bogeyed twice in his last three holes, bumped out of second when Tommy Fleetwood (66) drained a 40-foot birdie at No.18. Johnson notched his 14th PGA TOUR victory and second in a row, following a Genesis Open triumph to ascend to No.1. A few weeks later, he’d make it three straight by taking the WGC Dell Match Play. HOW TO FOLLOW TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 2-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, noon-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, noon-2 p.m. (GC), 2-6 p.m. (NBC). PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 11:15 a.m.-2 p.m. (featured groups), 2-7 p.m. (featured holes). RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com).

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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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The house lights are flashing to signify that intermission is over. Yes! Intermission is over! What a first half of the FedExCup Playoffs it was. Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas captured victory at THE NORTHERN TRUST and Dell Technologies Championship, respectively, but it’s Jordan Spieth atop the standings with consecutive runner-up finishes. He’s the first non-winner of the first two FedExCup Playoffs events in history to sit No. 1 entering the BMW Championship, a feat even more unfathomable given he started the series third in points. Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Illinois, hosts the third leg for the third time. Of this week’s field of 70, 42 competed either in 2013 or in 2015. Twenty-three played in both editions. Two wins and a T6 in his last three starts. Leading the FedExCup Playoffs in scrambling and one-putt percentage. Shared 13th in his first look at Conway Farms in 2015. Leading the FedExCup Playoffs in adjusted scoring thanks to ranking fourth in GIR and third in birdie-or-better percentage. T16 (2013) and T13 (2015) at Conway Farms. The defending champion prevailed at Crooked Stick last year, but he finished T7 at Conway Farms in 2015. Pacing the FedExCup Playoffs in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Connected five top 15s, and then shook off short week at Glen Oaks where the greens befuddled him with a T23 at TPC Boston. T7 at Conway Farms in 2015. Top fives in five consecutive FedExCup Playoffs events. Top 15s in his last six starts of 2017. Seventh on TOUR in adjusted scoring. T23 in Conway Farms debut in 2015. Regularly in the mix all year. Ranks third in the FedExCup Playoffs in strokes gained: off-the-tee and T7 in proximity en route a T20 (Glen Oaks) and T13 (TPC Boston). T4 at 2015 BMW. Slots fifth in points with renewed mindset and T3-T4 opening. Leading the FedExCup Playoffs in strokes gained: putting. Also third in birdie-or-better percentage and T7 in bogey avoidance. Shifted it into a higher gear at Quail Hollow, where he shared runner-up honors. A respective T20 and T6 to begin the FedExCup Playoffs in which he ranks T5 in bogey avoidance. T10s to open the FedExCup Playoffs are first consecutive top 10s since January. Now 17th in points and poised to head to East Lake where he’s been phenomenal. T13 here in 2015. Rested the last two weeks after four straight on the road with no worse than T17 (twice). Top 20s in six of last seven starts worldwide. Tied for 10th at the 2015 BMW. Added a solo third at the Dell Technologies Championship to what has already been a sparkling 2017. Ranks third in greens in regulation during the FedExCup Playoffs. Opened with 61 and went wire-to-wire at Conway Farms in 2015. Not nearly as sharp of late, but enters having logged four straight top 25s, two of which for a top 10. Headed in the wrong direction but has everything to gain at 51st in points, so he’s dangerous. Placed T4 at Conway Farms in 2015, ranking second in par-5 scoring. Debutant is handling the series like a veteran, ranking first in greens hit and bogey avoidance. Also third in scrambling. T10 (Glen Oaks) and T13 (TPC Boston). Didn’t crack the top 20 in either previous appearance at Conway Farms, but he recorded 11 top 20s in 15 starts since the Masters five months ago. Not scoring per his reputation but the components are there. Ranks 16th in the FedExCup Playoffs in proximity and second in scrambling. Runner-up in only appearance here in 2015. Quieted in recent weeks but hardly scuffling with three top 20s in his last four starts. Finished T7 in proximity to the hole while posting a T18 at TPC Boston. The 2013 champ has lost his way again, but it’s not due to poor putting. He’s 28th in strokes gained: putting in the FedExCup Playoffs. T13 here in 2015 as well, so he’s a horse. Coming to life at a great time. Validated a T4 at Sedgefield with a T6 at TPC Boston. Ranked second in strokes gained: putting en route to a T10 at the 2015 BMW Championship. The streaky 35-year-old is fresh off a confidence-building T10 at TPC Boston. It ended a spell without a top 30 at six straight starts. T28 (2013) and T19 (2015) at Conway Farms. Power Rankings: BMW Championship RANK PLAYER COMMENT Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Kevin Kisner and Webb Simpson will be among the notables included in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. Zach Johnson came from behind to prevail in 2013 and Jason Day cruised to a wire-to-wire title in 2015 at the BMW Championship at Conway Farms, but the Tom Fazio design also is remembered as the site of Jim Furyk’s 59 (with a bogey) in the second round of 2013. Yet, the field averaged 70.811 in its first look as compared to 69.489 in its return. Comparably, the 2015 field missed more fairways (63.72 percent vs. 66.73 percent in 2013), but it stacked up better on average in an array of scoring measurements: • Green in Regulation: 66.26 percent (vs. 62.94 percent in 2013) • Proximity to the Hole: 32 feet, one inch (vs. 33 feet, four inches) • Birdie-or-Better Conversion Percentage: 33.98 percent (vs. 30.24 percent) • Scrambling: 64.02 percent (vs. 59.90 percent) Rain softened Conway Farms in 2015, but not to the extent that anyone would have foreseen such a measurable drop in scoring on the par 35-36=71. So, with little chance of rain until Sunday during this week’s tournament, this year’s scoring average should land in between the two in the books. Daytimes highs in the mid-to-upper 70s are forecast. Mother Nature’s greatest challenge figures to be a moderate wind mid-tournament. Since Conway Farms hosted in 2015, several areas of the course were upgraded, many of which to improve drainage. The only change in overall yardage occurred at the par-5 18th hole, which is now up 10 yards, boosting the aggregate to 7,208 yards. Bentgrass greens are maintained at 12-and-a-half feet on the Stimpmeter. The longest rough is allowed to grow three-and-a-half inches. Those who advanced to the BMW Championship are not only chasing one of 30 berths into the TOUR Championship but also a carte-blanche schedule in 2017-18. In additions to exemptions already secured for finishing inside the top 70 of the FedExCup standings, the top 30 are granted exemptions into each of the first three majors in 2018 as well as spots in the first two World Golf Championships (HSBC, Mexico). The Confidence Factor on Tuesday will focus on specific statistics to identify would-be contenders as well as list all results of golfers in the field who competed at Conway Farms in 2013 and/or 2015. ROB BOLTON’S WRITING SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Columnist Rob Bolton will be filing his usual staples leading up to this week’s event. Look for the following columns this week. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Reshuffle, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, The Confidence Factor, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done THURSDAY: Ownership Percentages in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf and One & Done presented by SERVPRO * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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