South African Rookie Aldrich Potgieter struggled late on the way to a four-under-par 67 on Saturday that left him with a one-shot lead over Brian Campbell heading into the final round of the US PGA Tour’s Mexico Open.
Potgieter, the 20-year-old Pretoria-born prodigy who is playing in just his 10th PGA Tour event, started the day with a four-stroke lead after a sensational 61 on Friday at VedantaWorld near Puerta Vallarta.
He had a three-stroke cushion through 14 holes, but his 20-under total of 193 put him just one in front of American Brian Campbell, whose seven-under-par 64 equalled the best round of the day and put him at 19-under 194 — two strokes clear of Germany’s Stephan Jaeger.
“Besides the last two holes, it was really good,” said Potgieter, winner of The Amateur Championship in 2022 at Royal Lytham.
“Brian was having a great round so I tried to just stay a little bit ahead of him. It got a little tough throughout the day with the wind a little bit, some pin placements were a little bit more tough so didn’t make as many putts today.
“But we’ll save it for tomorrow,” added the big-hitting South African, who leads the tour in driving distance.
Potgieter started off well enough in gusty afternoon winds, rolling in a 10-foot birdie at the third and following a bogey at the fouth with a 14-foot birdie at the fifth.
He drove the green on the way to a two-putt birdie at the par-four seventh and made the turn with a three-shot lead over Jaeger and Campbell.
His lead was still at three after birdies at 11, 12 and 14, but he was suddenly struggling off the tee.
He parred 15 and 16 despite hitting it right off the tee, but his errant tee shot at the par-three 17th left him hitting out of the bushes and he ended up with a bogey that he said could have been worse.
“Luckily I had a little bit of a swing to just get the ball out, didn’t have to take a drop. Just tried to make a bogey and get out of there,” Potgieter said.
He regrouped to find the fairway at the par-five 18th, but his second shot came up well short in a sandy area and his third went through the green.
– ‘Super excited’ –
Potgieter drilled a testing five-foot putt to save par and maintain his edge over Campbell, who capped his round with a birdie from the greenside bunker at 18.
That was the seventh birdie of the day for the American, who rolled in a 60-footer at the ninth and a 25-foot birdie at 11.
“Super excited,” said Campbell, who is chasing a first win in just his 28th PGA Tour start. “I love a bogey-free round … that was a big focus today, just limiting the mistakes and staying within reach of Aldrich.”
Jaeger, who claimed his only PGA title to date at the Houston Open last year, had four birdies and a bogey on the front nine but had just two birdies on the back nine, inching closer with a 12-foot birdie at the last to cap his five-under 66.
He was two strokes in front of American Alex Smalley, who had seven birdies without a bogey in his 64 for solo fourth on 198.
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