Dustin Johnson remains favourite to not only become the first player to win twice this new season but also become the first to walk off with a second WGC – Mexico Championship victory takeout in three years.
‘DJ’ stayed in a class of his own posting a Mexico City third round 66 for a commanding four-stroke lead at 16-under par.
Johnson’s round included a second hole eagle, a fifth hole birdie and while he momentarily opened the door on his rivals with a 10th hole double, he birdied four of his closing eight holes.
Johnson captured last month’s inaugural Saudi International and arrived in the Mexican capital having won also the inaugural Mexico event in 2017.
Can @DJohnsonPGA be stopped?
The lead is FOUR. 💪💪💪💪#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/43IqW8QGt9
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 23, 2019
Rory McIlroy, who led by one after day one, posted seven birdies but four bogeys in a 68 for a 12-under total sees him trailing well behind his American rival.
Masters champ, Patrick Reed birdied his closing three holes in a ‘best of the day’ 64 to move to nine-under after the Texan still seeks a first victory since winning at Augusta.
He said: “It’s good fun hitting pitching wedges 180-yards and gap wedges 150-yards and after the good work I did last week with my swing coach, I am able to match my swing up with the distances the ball is actually going.”
Tiger Woods was left ruing taking seven putts in a 15th hole double and then a 16th hole bogey on route to his score of 70 to be tied ninth at six-under par.
And lone Scot Russell Knox also was counting the cost of a double-bogey three holes from home when he found the water guarding the green at the par-3 seventh hole he was playing as his 16th.
Knox had been three-under par for his round ahead of the mishap thanks to four birdies and just a lone bogey and finish with a one-under par 70 and this after an earlier pair of 72s.
The Scot heads to the final round of the first WGC of the new season just outside the top-40 in the no-cut 72-player event
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