Crooked Stick, Carmel, IN …. Adam Scott sent the Australian flag high in the chequered flag capital of the world on day three of the BMW Championship in Indianapolis.
Scott birdied three holes in succession mid-round and then his closing two on a Crooked Stick course even softer after an inch-and-a-half of rain was dumped on the course near midnight Friday when a violent electrical storm dramatically lit up the Indiana capital skyline.
The current World No. 6 was just one of two players, the other being England’s Paul Casey and in second place at 15-under par, not to drop a shot on day three of the $US 8.5m event.
Scott, a back-to-back PGA Tour winner earlier in the season, heads to the final round of the penultimate FedEx Cup Play-Off Series event, trailing seven shots behind reigning U.S. Open winner Dustin Johnson who is clearly dominating the field in birding four of his closing five holes, including holing a 18-foot birdie gem at the last on the Crooked Stick course.
Johnson’s effort comes a day after he record a nine under par 63 that for some bizarre reason the PGA Tour classified as a new course record even though a ‘preferred lie’ rule has now been in effect for all three days.
Adam Scott sends the Aussie flag high in Indianapolis on day three of the BMW Championship. (Photo – PGA Tour)
Scott came into the week lying fifth on the FedEx Cup standings and at this stage is projected to move to 4th ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship on the East Lake course in Atlanta.
“It’s helpful if I do move up, but certainly staying in the top-five would be ideal and then a win kind of sorts everything in the East Lake outcome,” he said.
“I’ve been trying hard to hang in in all the play-off events, so it was tough, because you can move a lot and you can move the wrong way a lot, as well So if I can hang in there tomorrow and have a good final round it will go a long way.”
In between capturing the Honda Classic and the following week’s WGC – Cadillac Championship Scott has recorded just two top-10s in his 12 events and that was T10th in the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and then T4th behind Rory McIlroy in last Monday’s concluding Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston,
“I’m disappointed I didn’t win a Major this year and I started so well and I just didn’t carry that momentum through the year,” he said.
“But then in saying that, it’s difficult to do and something I’m still trying to figure out how to do that. I’m trying to make the most of playing great this year. I’ve hit the ball really well and through the summer and that Major season, and with the exception of the Masters, I just didn’t putt good enough.
“So it’s been middle of the pack kind of stuff.
“I’m still trying to get the most out of what I have left this season. I’ve been patient and not tried to get frustrated because I am hitting the ball very well but just not putting the way I would have liked through that Majors period.
“But then over the last three weeks there has been good signs with the putting, and as we saw last week in Boston.”
Aaron Baddeley about to leave downtown Indianapolis bound for Crooked Stick GC in a ‘flashy’ BMW M6 coupe. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
World No. 1 Jason Day commences his final round sharing 21st place at five under par and projected by the Tour to drop one place to No. 3 on the FedEx Cup standings.
Aaron Baddeley, who had pleasure of driving a flashy BMW M6 coupe from the official J W Marriott hotel in downtown Indianapolis and on the 30-minute drive up the I-65 in the direction of Chicago ahead of taking the exit to Crooked Stick, posted a 74 to drop to a share of 55th place at level par.
And Marc Leishman has one round to complete in his season having added a 71 to be at four over par and well down sharing 66th place in the 69-player field.
