Pendrith, eyeing 1st Tour win, atop Byron Nelson

McKINNEY, Texas — Taylor Pendrith has been right here earlier than — holding or sharing a lead after three rounds on the PGA Tour.

The Canadian was one among six among the many high 10 on the leaderboard searching for a primary tour victory on the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

Pendrith chipped in twice for consecutive eagles to kick-start an 8-under 63 on Saturday for a 1-shot lead over second-round chief Jake Knapp.

“I do not know,” Pendrith mentioned when requested if he’d ever had back-to-back eagles, which got here on the par-5 fifth and par-4 sixth holes as he completed at 19-under 194. “I do not assume so. Possibly a primary.”

It was the third time on the PGA Tour this season and vaulted him forward of Knapp. Pendrith’s lead was two earlier than Knapp birdied the par-5 18th for a 67.

Ben Kohles (65) and first-round chief Matt Wallace (67) had been 2 pictures off the lead, 1 stroke forward of Alex Noren and Kelly Kraft, taking part in close to his Dallas residence on the TPC Craig Ranch on this suburb.

Troy Merritt, the one two-time PGA Tour winner among the many high 10, shot 70 and was at 14 beneath with three others, together with one-time winner Kevin Tway. The son of 1986 PGA Championship winner Bob Tway shot 64, whereas Vince Whaley and Byeong Hun An every shot 66.

Wallace and Knapp, a rookie gained the Mexico Open in February, are the others with PGA Tour victories.

Pendrith settled for second from the highest of the third-round leaderboard on the Rocket Mortgage Traditional in 2022. He was in the identical place on the Butterfield Bermuda Championship earlier that season earlier than a 76 left him in a tie for fifth.

“I believe simply keep affected person and play my very own recreation and do not get forward of myself,” Pendrith mentioned. “Make as many birdies as you may, as a result of I believe it’s going to take a low one tomorrow.”

Pendrith was engaged on a low one after a 26-foot chip shot rolled across the gap and went in, then a 41-yarder bounced about 25 ft from the opening and rolled in with virtually good velocity.

The 32-year-old, who has gained twice on the Canadian tour, is 7 beneath on these two holes. They had been the primary two of 5 consecutive birdies within the second spherical.

“Clearly, a bonus for each of these to go in,” Pendrith mentioned. “Two actually good pictures. First one had just a little little bit of steam so possibly received just a little fortunate to drop.”

Knapp was coming off consecutive 64s and had his second bogey-free spherical with a pair of birdies on every 9.

The 29-year-old Californian, who was working as a safety guard again residence three years in the past, needed to grasp on throughout a tough remaining spherical for the win in Mexico. Now he’ll be chasing whereas nonetheless taking part in within the remaining group.

“I believe I do greatest once I form of do leaderboard watch and I see what different guys are doing,” Knapp mentioned. “You see what guys are doing within the morning and also you get an thought of possibly how the course is taking part in.”

Wallace, a 34-year-old Englishman with 10 worldwide victories, together with 4 on the European tour, answered his second bogey of the week on 16 with birdies on the ultimate two holes.

“I do not know many individuals round me [that] have gained extra tournaments all over the world than myself,” mentioned Wallace, whose tour victory was within the Dominican Republic final 12 months. “Not that that is an enormous brag, however I really feel like I understand how to get the job completed.”

Kohles, who was born in Dallas however moved when he was 10, had a 263-yard second shot to 12 ft and made the eagle putt on the par-5 ninth for a 5-under 31 on the entrance. He bogeyed the par-4 eleventh earlier than the final two of his 5 birdies.

The 34-year-old shot 73 taking part in within the remaining group in Puerto Rico in March, ending fifth. Kohles has three profession top-10 finishes.

Kris Kim, a 16-year-old novice making his PGA Tour debut, practically had a hole-in-one on the 225-yard fourth gap, the ball rolling inside inches of the cup. The son of South Korean-born former LPGA golfer Ji-Hyun Suh shot 70 and was 8 beneath.

Kim, who’s from England and taking part in on a sponsor exemption from the South Korean firm and event title sponsor CJ Group, was set to change into the youngest to play the ultimate spherical of a PGA Tour occasion since Guan Tianlang on the 2014 CIMB Traditional. Tianlang was 16 years, eight days previous.

At 16 years, seven months, Kim surpassed Jordan Spieth because the youngest participant to make the lower on the Nelson. Spieth was two months shy of his seventeenth birthday when made his first PGA Tour begin at his hometown occasion in 2010, and tied for sixteenth. Kim was tied for 51st.