Stephen Michael Freeman Sentenced to Prison for Masters Ticket Scheme
Sep 14, 2020
The Masters logo is seen on a flag on the course at Augusta Country club during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 5, 2010. The tournament begins Thursday, April, 8. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Stephen Michael Freeman, a 42-year-old Georgia man, was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison for his role in a Masters ticket scheme.
The Associated Press and Nicholas Papadimas of Fox 28 Media reported the news, noting Freeman's parents, Steven Lee Freeman and Diane Freeman, as well as his sister, Christine Oliverson, were sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their role in the scheme.
Altogether, the family members paid approximately $275,500 in restitution as part of their plea deals.
The purpose of the scheme was to use stolen identities to obtain the highly coveted tickets in the Masters' lottery system and then resell those tickets for a profit.
Freeman, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud more than a year ago before this ruling came down, helped orchestrate the scheme that saw he and his family use the stolen identities to apply for tickets more than once and then use them to change addresses on the fake accounts to receive the tickets somewhere they had access to them.
"The FBI will go great lengths to disrupt any scheme that would circumvent a fair process by denying our citizens the right to compete for tickets to any public or private event," Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said. "This scheme was designed to profit off legitimate citizens' fair chance to obtain tickets to a prestigious golf tournament, and they must pay the price for their greed."
In June 2019, Roxanna Scott of Golfweek reported the maximum penalty for the guilty pleas of the family was 20 years in prison.
Scottie Scheffler Withdraws from 2020 US Open After Positive COVID-19 Test
Sep 13, 2020
Scottie Scheffler tees off on the ninth hole during the third round of the Northern Trust golf tournament at TPC Boston, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020, in Norton, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Scottie Scheffler will not participate in the 2020 U.S. Open that starts Thursday at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York.
On Sunday, the tournament announced he withdrew from the tournament because of a positive COVID-19 test.
"We are sorry to lose a member of the USGA family in this year’s field," USGA's senior managing director John Bodenhamer said. "We look forward to welcoming him back to the U.S. Open for many years to come."
The PGA Tour's officialwebsitenoted Branden Grace, who has played in seven U.S. Opens in the past, will replace Scheffler, who is asymptomatic and resting at home.
Scheffler has impressed this season.
He has seven top-10 finishes since September 2019, including a tie for fourth place at the PGA Championship. He also finished in fifth place in the FedExCup and tied for fourth in the Northern Trust.
Scheffler was at his best in the Northern Trust when he shot a 59 in the second round.Nick Pietruszkiewiczof ESPN noted he became the 11th player in PGA Tour history to shoot less than 60 and the second-youngest to do so at 24 years old.
The Associated Press (h/tYahoo Sports) noted he is on the shortlist of contenders for the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year alongside Viktor Hovland, Harry Higgs and Maverick McNealy.
Safeway Open 2020: Brian Stuard, James Hahn, Cameron Percy Lead After Round 3
Sep 12, 2020
Tom Kim, second from right, of South Korea, walks with his caddie to the 11th green of the Silverado Resort North Course during the first round of the Safeway Open PGA golf tournament Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, in Napa, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Brian Stuard, James Hahn and Cameron Percy co-lead a crowded Safeway Open leaderboard at 16-under, but a host of contenders are right behind them.
Kristoffer Ventura, Sam Burns and Harry Higgs are one shot back, and five other golfers reside in a seventh-place tie at 14-under.
Overall, 28 golfers are within four shots of the lead at Napa, California's Silverado Country Club, whose North course has been a birdie haven.
In other words, it's not inconceivable to believe that anyone within four shots could win this tournament, although those at the back of that pack have many golfers to leap frog before doing so.
Here's a look at the top-15 scoreboard from the PGA Tour's first tournament of the year as well as notes and highlights from Saturday.
Top-20 Leaderboard
T1. Brian Stuard: -16
T1. James Hahn: -16
T1. Cameron Percy: -16
T4. Kristoffer Ventura: -15
T4. Sam Burns: -15
T4. Harry Higgs: -15
T7. Emiliano Grillo: -14
T7. Stewart Cink: -14
T7. Doug Ghim: -14
T7. D.J. Trahan: -14
T7. Russell Knox: -14
T12. Sahith Theegala: -13
T12. Kevin Streelman: -13
T12. Ben Taylor: -13
T12. Xinjun Zhang: -13
T12. Tim Wilkinson: -13
T12. Pat Perez: -13
The Leaders
James Hahn's irons were on point Saturday as evidenced by this shot on a par-three:
He hit a ridiculous 88.89 percent of his greens in regulation and gained another half-stroke on the green as well en route to shooting a five-under 67 Saturday.
The driver wasn't as helpful as the irons, with Hahn hitting 64.29 percent of his fairways. It didn't matter, though, as Hahn was able to pull off shots like these:
Consistency has been the name of the game for Stuard thanks to a 67-67-66 performance thus far. On Saturday, he had third straight birdies from the third through fifth holes before adding three more on the back nine.
Hahn and Stuard have company in the form of Cameron Percy, whose four-under day propelled him into a three-way tie.
Somehow, Percy has found himself there despite a 42.86 percent driving accuracy rate Saturday. Gaining over two strokes on the green helped, as did his ability to hit greens in regulations with solid iron play.
The Rookie
If you're looking for an underdog to root for Sunday, consider Sahith Theegala, who made his first start as a professional in the Travelers Championship in June.
Sahith Theegala made his first start as a pro @TravelersChamp.
◽️3-time All-American. ◽️Ben Hogan and Fred Haskins award winner. ◽️Finished college with lowest scoring average in the nation (69.04). pic.twitter.com/8c93pLg7cq
He dominated Saturday to the tune of an eight-under 64 thanks to his scorching-hot irons (83.33 percent greens in regulation) and putter (3.535 strokes gained).
Four birdies on the front nine, four birdies on the back nine and no bogeys put him at 13-under and a tie for 12th heading into Sunday.
Theegala, 23, dominated the college ranks at Pepperdine. He's had a rough start on the PGA Tour with three missed cuts at the Travelers, 3M Open and Rocket Mortgage Classic, but the future is bright for the ex-Green Wave star, who has thrown himself into the mix.
Shots of the Day
Leave it to Phil Mickelson to (a) consider using driver out of the rough, (b) actually doing so and (c) successfully executing the shot.
That all happened after Mickelson found thick rough on the par-five fifth, and the five-time major winner can take it from here:
Mickelson eventually saved par when it looked as though bogey was a real possibility. He's out of contention at eight-under overall, but the entertainment factor never stops with Mickelson regardless of where he is on the leaderboard.
Elsewhere, hole No. 17 was the place to be Saturday as Xinjun Zhang nailed a hole-out eagle from 103 yards:
Safeway Open 2020: Sam Burns Cards 2nd-Round 65, Takes Lead into Weekend
Sep 11, 2020
Tom Kim, of South Korea, hits from the 11th tee of the Silverado Resort North Course during the first round of the Safeway Open PGA golf tournament Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, in Napa, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Only two rounds into the 2020 Safeway Open, the top of the leaderboard features multiple players at ten under par or better.
Friday's action ended with Sam Burns leading the way at 15-under, though contenders remain across the field with each player in the top ten shooting ten-under or better through the second round.
Silverado Country Club in Napa, California, is begging golfers to continue taking advantage of it and few obliged as well as Sam Burns.
Burns shot a 65 on Friday to enter the lead thanks to a near-perfect found that saw him sink nine birdies with the only miscue a double-bogey on No. 11 after his tee shot found the water. Overall, Burns has hit 88.89 percent of his greens in regulation.
Here's a look at the top of the leaderboard heading into Saturday:
Safeway Open 2020 Leaderboard
1. Sam Burns (-15)
2. Harry Higgs (-13)
T3. Cameron Percy (-12)
T3. Russell Knox (-12)
T3. D.J. Trahan (-12)
T6. James Hahn (-11)
T6. Doug Ghim (-11)
T8. Pat Perez (-10)
T8. Rob Oppenheim (-10)
T8. Tom Hoge (-10)
T8. Brian Stuard (-10)
Notables: T16. Charl Schwartzel (-8), T34. Jim Furyk (-6), T34. Harold Varner III (-6), T34. Phil Mickelson (-6), T108. Jordan Spieth (-1)
While Burns remains in the lead, Harry Higgs put together the round of the day (62) to move up 34 spots into sole possession of second place.
Not only did Higgs put together a bogey-free round with seven birdies, he sank the shot of the day with an albatross on No. 9 to end his round. Higgs' tee shot on the par five went 331 yards and sat on the right of the fairway with 230 yards to the pin. His second shot landed on the lip of the green and rolled straight into the cup.
From 230 yards out on his final hole of the day ... 👀
After a birdie on No. 9 in his first round, the double eagle counts as a massive improvement.
"I was looking forward to taking a nap all afternoon long and I may be too jacked up now to actually fall asleep," Higgs quipped after his improbable shot.
Yet the course was playing easy enough that Higgs' jump from 35th to 2nd place didn't even register among the biggest movers of the day.
Beau Hossler's round of 65 sent him 82 spots up the leaderboard and into a tie for 34th alongside Jim Furyk (six-under) and Kevin Streelman, who each gained 64 spots on the leaderboard Friday.
Among the players to miss the cut at five-under were Keegan Bradley (four-under), Shane Lowry (three-under), Sergio Garcia (three-under), Brant Snedeker (one-under) and Jordan Spieth (one-under).
TOUR Championship 2020: Dustin Johnson Leads by 1 Stroke After Round 2
Sep 5, 2020
Dustin Johnson hits from the tee on the third hole during the second round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Dustin Johnson remains atop the leaderboard thanks to the staggered scoring system after the second round of the 2020 TOUR Championship.
Following an opening-round 67 Friday, Johnson finished with an even-par 70 Saturday. He began the tournament at 10 under par thanks to having the most points in the FedEx Cup standings.
Sungjae Im posted the low score of the day with a 64 to finish 12 under par overall, one shot behind Johnson for the lead.
Here's the top of the leaderboard halfway through the TOUR Championship, via PGATour.com:
1. Dustin Johnson (-13)
2. Sungjae Im (-12)
3. Xander Schauffele (-11)
4. Justin Thomas (-10)
T5. Jon Rahm (-9)
T5. Collin Morikawa (-9)
T5. Tyrrell Hatton (-9)
Saturday marked the second time in his last 18 rounds that Johnson has broken 70. He opened the BMW Championship with a 71 last week before rebounding with three rounds of 69, 69 and 67 to reach a four-hole playoff that he eventually lost to Jon Rahm.
Johnson ran into some bad luck on the back nine, particularly with this putt attempt to save par on No. 15:
The front nine was a mixed bag for Johnson, though things did get off to a solid start. He birdied two of the first six holes, including a 37-footer on No. 3:
Johnson finished his first nine holes with three birdies and two bogeys to head into the back nine at one under par for the day. He struggled down the stretch with two more bogeys that forced him into a tie for the top spot.
Im has done a terrific job of climbing up the standings over the past two days. He began the tournament as part of a five-way tie for sixth place at four under par using the staggered scoring system.
Following a solid 68 in the first round, Im made a charge up the standings Saturday. The South Korean star had seven birdies overall, including four on the back nine.
Sungjae Im 22, looking to become the second-youngest winner of the FedExCup. @JordanSpieth won the title in 2015 at the age of 22 years and 2 months. Im will be 22-4-8 as of Monday's @playofffinale final round.
Im has had an inconsistent run since the PGA season resumed in June. He's finished outside the top 35 or missed the cut nine times in 11 events during that span. The 22-year-old finished ninth three weeks ago at the Wyndham Championship.
Im's only PGA Tour victory to date came back in March at the Honda Classic. He's still got work to do in order to pass Johnson, but the results thus far have been very encouraging.
Among the top contenders, Rahm had the most difficult day on the course. The 25-year-old dropped four spots into a tie for fifth thanks to a four-over-par 74.
The back nine completely undid Rahm in the second round. He finished with a 39 on those nine holes, including a combined three over par on Nos. 15 and 16.
There is reason for Rahm to be optimistic about being able to rebound. He was six-over-par through two rounds at the BMW Championship before finishing a combined 10 under par over the final two rounds.
No one has been able to take full advantage of the staggered scoring system when the tournament began. Johnson is still in control of things, but the field remains wide-open with nine players within six shots of the top spot and 36 holes to play.
BMW Championship 2020: Jon Rahm Wins Playoff on Dramatic 66-Foot Birdie Putt
Aug 30, 2020
Jon Rahm reacts after making a birdie on the 16th hole during the final round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at the Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Jon Rahm might have had a song playing in his head Sunday after he watched Dustin Johnson force a playoff with a 43-foot birdie putt on No. 18.
Anything you can do I can do better.
Rahm, who opened the BMW Championship at the Olympia Fields North Course with a five-over 75 on Thursday and 71 on Friday, was a different player over the weekend, concluding his tournament with a 64 on Sunday to finish four under overall.
He went into the clubhouse with a one-stroke lead, but Johnson almost spoiled his day. Trailing by a single stroke on No. 18, Johnson hit a 43-foot putt for birdie to force a playoff.
"I could hardly believe it," he said after his legendary putt, per Nick Menta of the Golf Channel.
Oh, and it was also his longest made putt of the season. Talk about perfect timing.
With the win, Rahm—currently No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, behind Johnson—heads into next weekend's Tour Championship two strokes behind the man he beat Sunday.
But his remarkable comeback after a tough start at the BMW Championship, alongside a win at Muirfield Village earlier in the season, makes him a player to be reckoned with going forward:
Jon Rahm opened with 146 over the first 36 holes.
That is the highest opening 36-hole score by a PGA Tour winner since Paul Lawrie at the 1999 Open Championship (the Van de Velde collapse).
To further the point that this feels like a US Open...only one player since 2009 has opened with a 75 in the first round on the PGA Tour and gone on to win, Brooks Koepka at the 2018 US Open. Rahm opened with a 75 and is currently in the lead by 2. This does not happen very often
Jon Rahm has now won the Memorial Tournament and the BMW Championship – by far, the two toughest setups of the summer – just in case you were wondering who’s going to win next month’s U.S. Open.
As for other results, players like Tony Finau (-1), Joaquin Niemann (-2) and Mac Hughes (+2) moved into the top 30 and into the field for next weekend's Tour Championship, while Adam Long (+12) and Kevin Streelman (+11) fell out of contention. Other notable finishers included Rory McIlroy (+3), Tiger Woods (+11) and Jason Day (+14).
But the day belonged to Rahm. Any putt Johnson made, Rahm could make better.
BMW Championship 2020: Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama Share Lead After Round 3
Aug 29, 2020
Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, looks over the line before a birdie putt on the 16th green during the third round of the BMW Championship golf tournament Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill. Matsuyama and Dustin Johnson are tied for the lead. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
The leaderboard shuffling at the 2020 BMW Championship continued yet again Saturday with Hideki Matsuyama and Dustin Johnson tied for the top spot.
Entering the third round tied for third, Matsuyama and Johnson moved up two spots with matching scores of 69. Their 54-hole score of one-under par is two shots clear of Joaquin Niemann, Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Scott.
Here's the top of the leaderboard with 18 holes remaining from Olympia Fields,Illinois, via PGATour.com:
T1. Dustin Johnson (-1)
T1. Hideki Matsuyama (-1)
T3. Joaquin Niemann (+1)
T3. Mackenzie Hughes (+1)
T3. Adam Scott (+1)
T6. Jon Rahm (+2)
T6. Sebastian Munoz (+2)
T6. Kevin Kisner (+2)
T6. Bubba Watson (+2)
T6. Brendon Todd (+2)
T6. Rory McIlroy (+2)
Matsuyama rebounded from a disappointing 73 in the second round to put himself in position to potentially win his first PGA Tour event since 2017. He wasted no time Saturday turning things around with an eagle on the first hole.
Hideki Matsuyama wasted no time getting started in Round 3. 🦅
A birdie on the third hole got Matsuyama to three-under par overall, but he did give those shots back with three bogeys in a span of five holes from No. 6-10.
Even though Matsuyama finds himself in an opportune position to win, Justin Ray of 15th Club did point out this hasn't been a harbinger of great success for the 28-year-old in the past:
Hideki Matsuyama is 1-for-3 converting 54-hole leads into wins on the PGA Tour. It's his first 54-hole lead since the 2016 WGC-HSBC Champions (won).
Johnson is continuing to ride a wave of momentum that started back at the PGA Championship. He finished second at that event and followed it up with a victory last week at the Northern Trust.
Dustin Johnson has held the 54-hole lead or co-lead in each of his last three starts on TOUR
PGA Championship (Finished T2) THE NORTHERN TRUST (Won) BMW Championship (TBD)
Unlike Matsuyama, Johnson had to dig himself out of an early hole with a bogey on No. 1. He did finish with three birdies on the day, with his last one coming on the 15th hole to put him in a tie for the top spot.
Rory McIlroy came into the third round tied with Patrick Cantlay for the lead. The 31-year-old didn't maintain that position after shooting a 73 on Saturday, but he's still in contention at just three shots behind the co-leaders.
McIlroy finished the day with five bogeys and two birdies. His main issue in the third round came on the green, as he cost himself 1.68 shots putting. If that number can get closer to average on Sunday, he could walk away with his first career win at this event.
Jon Rahm and Kevin Streelman tied for the best score of the third round (66). Rahm put himself in contention heading into Sunday at two-over par overall, three shots behind Matsuyama and Johnson.
Streelman had the biggest single-day turnaround of the tournament. He improved 14 shots after carding an 80 in the second round, but still sits well off the pace at 12-over par overall.
Tiger Woods put together his best round of the weekend with a 72. The 44-year-old is 10-over par for the tournament and will likely fall short of moving into the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings to reach the Tour Championship next week.
Matsuyama has led or tied for the lead after the first and third round this weekend. Johnson is playing the best golf of anyone on the PGA Tour.
The stage is set for an epic duel between the two in the final round, with plenty of competition on the horizon if they are unable to close out strong.
Tiger Woods Falls Down Leaderboard After Shooting 75 in BMW Championship Round 2
Aug 28, 2020
Tiger Woods hits from a bunker on the first hole during the second round of the BMW Championship golf tournament, Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Tiger Woods had another difficult day at the 2020 BMW Championship, finishing his second round with a five-over par 75.
Halfway through the tournament, Woods is at eight-over par overall after shooting a 73 in the first round.
The bulk of Woods' struggles Friday occurred on down the stretch on the back nine, but there were plenty of issues early. The first sign of trouble came on No. 5 when his second shot landed in the rough behind the green, but appeared to save it by getting within six feet of the hole on his next shot.
As was the case throughout the day, though, Woods' putting let him down. The 44-year-old took a bogey after two-putting on the green.
After a par on the sixth hole, Woods had significant issues on No. 7. His tee shot landed in a bunker on the left side of the fairway. He did get on the green in four with an opportunity to save bogey, but missed a four-foot putt that forced him to settle for double-bogey.
Over the back in 2.
Short chip. Short chip. Short putt.
Double bogey. Double freaking bogey. I just don’t believe what I just saw.
The back nine got looked like a potential turning point for Woods. His second shot with a wedge on No. 10 that put him in position for a birdie if he could make the short putt:
But Woods missed from seven feet out and had to settle for par.
Woods' brightest moment came on No. 11. His 344-yard tee shot landed in the middle of the fairway, just 45 yards from the hole. He finally took advantage by making a 14-foot putt two shots later for his first birdie of the round.
Things quickly spiraled out of control for Woods from that point. The five-time BMW Championship winner gave that shot back on No. 12 with his second bogey of the round.
Woods went on a run of three consecutive bogeys from 14 through 16 that pushed him far down the leaderboard.
This is the first time all year Woods has played tournaments in back-to-back weeks. He finished tied for 58th last week at the Northern Trust, but his final score was a respectable six-under par.
The returns so far this weekend haven't been nearly as kind. Woods needs a good showing at the BMW Championship to keep his season going. He entered 57th in the FedEx Cup standings, with only the top 30 advancing to the Tour Championship next weekend.
Even though there's still 36 holes remaining, Woods hasn't shown anything thus far to suggest he's on the verge of turning things around.
Northern Trust 2020: Dustin Johnson Shoots 63, Cruises to 11-Stroke Victory
Aug 23, 2020
Dustin Johnson tees off on the ninth hole during the final round of the Northern Trust golf tournament at TPC Boston, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, in Norton, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
For the second time this year and 22nd time of his career, Dustin Johnson is a PGA Tour victor.
Johnson completed his dominant win at the 2020 Northern Trust at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts, with an eight-under 63 in Sunday's final round. The title was never truly in doubt throughout the fourth round as the Travelers Championship winner continued his impressive play of late, which also included a second-place finish at the PGA Championship.
Here is a look at the top of the leaderboard, which can be found in full on the PGA Tour's official website.
1. Dustin Johnson, -30
2. Harris English, -19
3. Daniel Berger, -18
T4. Scottie Scheffler, -17
T4. Kevin Kisner, -17
T6. Jon Rahm, -16
T6. Webb Simpson, -16
T8. Ryan Palmer, -15
T8. Russell Henley, -15
T8. Alex Noren, -15
It was clear during Friday's second round that Johnson was the one to beat.
In fact, it looked like he was going to break or tie Jim Furyk's single-round record of a 58 on Friday when he was 11-under through 11 holes before he eventually settled for an 11-under 60 by ending with seven straight pars.
Johnson was nine-under through nine holes with two eagles in that round, and he continued his mastery of the front nine in Sunday's outing with an eagle on No. 2 and birdies on Nos. 4, 5, 7 and 8.
1st in SG: Tee-to-Green 1st in Greens in Reg. 1st in SG: Approach 1st in Ball-Striking 1st in Putts (GIR) 1st in Proximity 1st in Eagles pic.twitter.com/jxqdZ7w5SJ
By the time he made the turn, he was already in full control of the tournament after entering the final round with a five-stroke advantage over Harris English and Scottie Scheffler.
"I'm in a great position and like where I'm at, but I'm still going to have to go out and shoot a good score," Johnson said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "You can go low out here and guys are going low every day, especially with the conditions we have—perfect greens, golf course is in great shape and not a lot of wind."
He did go out and shoot a good score, cruising to the easy victory with a safe approach at the end that resulted in two birdies and seven pars on the back nine.
Johnson put English and Scheffler in a position where they needed to be nearly perfect just to threaten.
Scheffler essentially was perfect when he became the 11th player in PGA Tour history to shoot a sub-60 round Friday with a 59, but he struggled to replicate that showing Sunday. He had two bogeys and zero birdies in the first 12 holes and fell well out of contention in the process.
English was better than Scheffler, notching four birdies on the front nine and playing steady enough golf down the stretch to secure second place.
While he didn't have much of a realistic chance to threaten the dominant Johnson, English can at least take solace knowing he was better than a number of notable players.
Tiger Woods posted a 66 for his best round of the tournament but was well behind the leaders at six under overall. Rickie Fowler continued his consistency with a two-under 69, but his seven under for the tournament was nowhere near enough to keep pace with the leaders.
Justin Thomas also finished at seven under following a 71 in Sunday's round, while Rory McIlroy ended his both his tournament and final round at two under with a 69.
Northern Trust 2020: Dustin Johnson Holds 5-Stroke Lead Entering Final Round
Aug 22, 2020
Dustin Johnson tees off on the ninth hole during the third round of the Northern Trust golf tournament at TPC Boston, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020, in Norton, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Dustin Johnson remains in the lead after three rounds at the 2020 Northern Trust Open.
Coming off an impressive 60 in the second round, Johnson put together another strong performance Saturday with a 64 to bring his overall score to 22 under par.
Harris English and Scottie Scheffler remain Johnson's closest competition with 18 holes remaining. Both players are tied for second place and five shots back at 17 under.
Here's the top of the leaderboard from TPC Boston after 54 holes, via PGATour.com:
1. Dustin Johnson (-22)
T2. Harris English (-17)
T2. Scottie Scheffler (-17)
4. Louis Oosthuizen (-15)
T5. Harry Higgs (-14)
T4. Daniel Berger (-14)
T4. Danny Lee (-14)
8. Bubba Watson (-13)
Since withdrawing from the 3M Open after the first round with a back injury, Johnson has returned to peak form lately. He finished tied for second at the PGA Championship two weeks ago and is one round away from getting his second victory of the season.
Johnson did the bulk of his damage on the front nine with four birdies. His 20-foot birdie on No. 8 put him three shots ahead of the field.
Rain did cause a delay to the round, but Johnson wasn't significantly impacted. He made it to 20 under with a birdie on No. 12 that was 12 inches away from being an eagle:
Johnson gave a shot back with his first bogey in 31 holes on No. 13 when his tee shot landed in the rough. He followed that up by hitting his second shot into a bunker on the right side of the green.
After settling back into things with three consecutive pars, Johnson got back to 20 under with his final birdie of the day on No. 17. He capped off his round with an eagle putt from 40 feet out:
There was one moment when English looked like he was going to end the day at least tied with Johnson for the lead thanks to this chip-in birdie from 41 feet out on No. 14:
English was unable to keep his momentum going down the stretch. He made back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17 that moved him three shots behind Johnson. The 31-year-old had three bogeys total Saturday, his most in a single round so far at the Northern Trust.
Fresh off being the talk of the tournament Friday, Scheffler was able to come back with a quality third-round showing. His day got off on a difficult note with a bogey on the par-five second hole, but he still finished with six birdies in total.
Just 24 years old, Scheffler is chasing his first win on the PGA Tour. He had two victories on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2019 and finished fourth at the PGA Championship two weeks ago.
Things didn't go as well for Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods in the third round. Both players began the day at three under but fell further down the leaderboard. McIlroy finished with a 74 that included two double bogeys in his first six holes.
Woods didn't have the same kind of struggles as McIlroy, but he finished the day with five bogeys that dropped his overall score to one under.
Heading into the final round, this is Johnson's tournament to lose. He's won the Northern Trust twice, most recently in 2017. The only event he's won more in his career is the WGC-Mexico Championship (three times).
