Last week's 3M Open winner Tony Finau and Taylor Pendrith are tied for the lead heading into Sunday's final round in Detroit; watch the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic live on Sky Sports Golf on Sunday from 5.30pm
Monday 1 August 2022 06:25, UK
Tony Finau shot a seven-under 65 on Saturday to match Taylor Pendrith at 21-under heading into the final round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
The 3M Open winner last week in Minnesota, Finau is trying to become the first to win consecutive regular-season tournaments in three years.
A stroke ahead entering the round, Pendrith birdied four of the last five holes for a 66. Rookie of the year front-runner Cameron Young (65) was four strokes back. He matched the Detroit Golf Club record with a 63 on Friday.
Stephan Jaeger was five shots back after a 65 and Patrick Cantlay, No 4 in the world rankings, was six shots behind after a 66.
Pendrith was the second-round leader after setting the tournament 36-hole record at 15-under 129. The 31-year-old PGA Tour rookie from Canada missed nearly four months this year with a broken rib.
This duel in Detroit seemed like matchplay, with Pendrith and Finau taking turns pulling and falling into ties and moving ahead.
Pendrith opened with a six-foot birdie putt to take a two-shot lead. Finau pulled within a stroke on the next hole, making a 20-foot chip from the greenside rough for birdie.
Pendrith, who had his share of fans back home in Ontario, looked calm as he bumped fists with two young boys as he walked to the third tee.
Finau pulled into the lead with a 15-foot putt at No 3, then Pendrith pulled his three-foot putt to miss an opportunity to stay ahead.
Pendrith's errant tee shot to the left on the par-five 631-yard fourth hole put him in the No 6 greenside rough, leaving him behind several towering tees in his path to the green. He hit a shot 104 yards to the hole, an approach within 16 feet and made the putt to restore his one-stroke lead. He then took a two-stroke lead at the sixth, making a seven-foot putt which curled in the right side.
Finau equalled Pendrith at 18-under at the turn after making birdies at Holes 7 and 8 while Pendrith missed a one-foot putt and make bogey on the ninth hole.
Pendrith ended up behind a tree again at the 13th, forcing him to chip back onto the fairway and leading to a bogey that dropped him into a second-place tie with Young. Finau took a two-shot cushion with an eight-foot birdie putt at 14.
Pendrith, who won twice on PGA Tour Canada, bounced back from his second bogey with three straight birdies to pull back into a tie with two holes to play.
Finau went ahead at 17 with a birdie, and Pendrith tied it again with a birdie on the 54th hole.
If Finau can outlast the competition to win Sunday, he will be the first to win two straight regular-season events since since Brendon Todd in 2019.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
