By TERRY LYONS
Note: Sunday weather report is for partly cloudy skies turning mostly sunny through the afternoon with temps 55-to-66-degrees. After 10am, there’s a 0% chance of rain but the winds will range from 10-15 with gust to 18 mph in the morning to build to 16-to-22 mph by 4pm ET.
PGA Tour Brunch: Arnold Palmer Invitational (R-4)
Playing in his 14th Arnold Palmer Invitational, presented by Mastercard, Lee Westwood recorded a 7-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead after three rounds as his (65) marked his best-ever score in 49 rounds at this event.
Westwood, 47, is the oldest player to hold a 54-hole lead/co-lead on Tour since Phil Mickelson at 2019 The American Express.
Saturday’s wild and entertaining “Moving Day,” included two holes-in-one: Jordan Spieth (on No. 2), and Jazz Janewattananond (on No. 14).
Bryson DeChambeau hit a 370-yard drive on No. 6 and had 70 yards in for his second shot to make birdie. It was the longest drive of the week by any player on any hole and longest drive on No. 6 in the ShotLink era (2003-present).
The tournament’s 18-hole co-leader and 36-hole leader Corey Conners (T-2) at (-10) enters the final round one stroke off the lead in search of his second tour title and first since the 2019 Valero Texas Open.
Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton (T-11) at (-6) played his first 13 holes of the tournament in 6-over and is 12-under on the 41 holes since. Hatton is seeking back-to-backs and the last player to win back-to-back at Bay Hill was Matt Every in 2014-15.
Justin Rose withdrew after three holes due to a back injury. Rose entered the third round T-7 at 5-under (71-68) but recorded a quintuple bogey in R-3 just before his WD.
Tee Times: Rickie Fowler and Doc Redman just teed-off at 7:45am ET. The leaders will tee-off at 1:55pm ET).
Full list of Tee Times: (link)
Let’s Hope the Starter treats Rickie Fowler a little better today:
Leaderboard After Round Three:
Lee Westwood 69-71-65—205 (-11)
Bryson DeChambeau 67-71-68—206 (-10)
Corey Conners 66-69-71—206 (-10)
Keegan Bradley 69-74-64—207 (-9)
Jordan Spieth 70-69-68—207 (-9)
Full Leaderboard - (link)
KEY INFO: The ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL
PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $9,300,000/$1,674,000
DEFENDING Champion: Tyrrell Hatton (2020 Leaderboard link)
PAST RESULTS: (link)
PAST CHAMPIONS of Event: (link)
FEDEx CUP Winner Share for points: 550
SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedEXCup @APinv
TV COVERAGE: Sunday, March 7: 12:30pm to 2:30pm (ET) on Golf Channel and 2:30pm to 6:00pm (ET) on NBC.
STREAMING: PGA Tour Live will offer streaming coverage of Featured Groups today (8:00am-2:30pm ET), PGA Tour Live will stream Featured Holes today from 2:30pm to 6:00pm (ET).
PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: Sunday, March 7: (1:00pm to 6:00pm (ET)) on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92) or online on PGATour.com.
TOURNAMENT SITE (link)
March Madness Discount Offering for PGA Tour Brunch Subscription:
What They’re Saying:
Exciting “Moving Day” Leaves Westwood in Front (PGATourCom)
Hatton Continue Charge Up Leaderboard (PGATourCom)
DeChambeau Nearly Drives (Par-5) 6th Hole (ESPN)
Justin Rose WD (lower back pain) After Quintuple Bogey (GolfCom)
#SportsBiz and Golf Industry News
Australia’s Andrew Martin Cards Four Eagles In PGA Austral/Asia (FoxSports)
Players Preview: Greatest Round Ever? (GolfDigest)
Memories of “Tin Cup” - (Irish Times)
On This Day in Golf History:
March 7, 1982 - Tom Kite holed an 8-iron chip from the fringe to defeat Jack Nicklaus and Denis Watson on the first hole of a sudden death playoff to with the Bay Hill Invitational. The win was Kite’s fourth career victory and earned him $54,000. (Courtesy of Randy Walker), Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Parting Putt:
Just Another Saturday on the Tour:
