Entering the final round with a three-shot lead, Bill Haas appears in position to successfully defend his title at the Northern Trust Open. Here are some facts and figures You Oughta Know heading into the final round at Riviera:
• With a win, Haas would become the eighth player to win back-to-back titles at the Northern Trust, and first since Phil Mickelson won in both 2008 and 2009. Others to pull off the feat include Ben Hogan (1947-48), Arnold Palmer (1966-67), Corey Pavin (1994-95) and Mike Weir (2003-04).
• Making his first start on the PGA Tour in 2013, Charl Schwartzel appears poised for his highest finish in the U.S. in nearly a year. Following a tie for fifth at last year’s WGC-Cadillac Championship, the South African failed to record a top-10 finish in 13 subsequent starts during the 2012 season. Schwartzel, who has been inside the top five in six straight starts worldwide, is the only player with all three rounds in the 60s this week at Riviera.
• Since opening with two bogeys in his first seven holes Thursday, Webb Simpson has made only two more bogeys across the next 47 holes at Riviera and now sits in a tie for second alongside Schwartzel and John Merrick. The reigning U.S. Open champion got off to a similarly slow start last week at Pebble Beach, bogeying three of his first four holes Thursday before working his way back to a T-26 finish.
• Despite a 1-over 72 Saturday, 36-hole co-leader Fredrik Jacobson remains in position to improve his seed for next week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. Currently tied for fifth at 8 under, the Swede must finish inside the top 19 Sunday to move up from the 64th seed and avoid a first-round date at Dove Mountain with world No. 1 Rory McIlroy.
• Already the first recipient of the tournament’s diversity exemption to make the cut at the Northern Trust Open, Jeremiah Wooding further improved his position with a 1-under 70 Saturday. Making his first career PGA Tour start, the 24-year-old carded four birdies during his third round and will begin Sunday tied for 22nd at 2 under, among a large group that includes names like Matt Kuchar and Ernie Els.
• After beginning the year with a T-23 finish at Kapalua followed by four straight missed cuts, Charlie Beljan appears to have rediscovered the form that helped him win the CMN Hospitals Classic last fall. Beljan, who entering this week had not shot below 69 in 13 rounds thus far in 2013, now has two such rounds through 54 holes at Riviera after an opening 67 and a round of 3-under 68 Saturday.
