Thanks to a round of 1-under 69, Daniel Berger will take a three-shot lead over Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker and D.A. Points into the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Here’s where things stand through 54 holes in Memphis:
Leaderboard: Berger (-10), Points (-7), Stricker (-7), Mickelson (-7), Seung-Yul Noh (-6), Colt Knost (-6), Brooks Koepka (-6)
What it means: Berger, the 2015 PGA Tour rookie of the year, is in pursuit of his first victory. Up three to start the day, Berger found himself one over through 15 holes before back-to-back birdies at 16 and 17 helped him maintain his three-shot advantage. The 23-year-old was a two-time runner-up last season and has finished in the top 25 in 21 of his 49 career starts. Giving chase will be three PGA Tour veterans in Points, Stricker and Mickelson; the last two have both been on Tour longer than Berger has been alive. Mickelson is in pursuit of his first victory since the 2013 Open Championship and is looking to build momentum for yet another shot at the U.S. Open and the career grand slam. Mickelson will play with Stricker, and Points will join Berger in the final pairing.
Round of the day: Points raced up the leaderboard into a tie for second with a bogey-free 6-under 64, making three birdies on each side. In addition to his third Tour victory, Points is chasing an invite to Royal Troon.
Best of the rest: Stricker, Boo Weekley and Alex Prugh shot 4-under 66. Like Points, the part-time Stricker was bogey-free and is now in line for an Open invite. The 49-year-old last won the 2012 Tournament of Champions.
Biggest disappointment: Tied for third at 5 under for the week through 36 holes, Dustin Johnson fell out of contention with a 3-over 73, making two birdies, three bogeys and a double. Separately, Tom Hoge, who played with Berger in the final group, shot 39 on the back and fell all the way back to 2 under with Johnson.
Shot of the day: Berger followed up a two-putt birdie from the fringe at the par-5 16th with this chip-in for birdie at 17.
Storyline to watch Sunday: The FedEx St. Jude Classic is part of the Open Qualifying Series, which awards invitations to this year’s Open Championship at Royal Troon. The leading four players who finish in the top 12 in Memphis and who are not already qualified will earn invites. Players set to earn those invitations through three rounds are Points, Stricker, Noh and Knost.
