SAN DIEGO — Stephan Jaeger sank a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 18 at Torrey Pines South for a one-shot lead within the third spherical of the Farmers Insurance coverage Open on Friday, moments after Thomas Detry‘s third shot landed properly previous the opening and spun again into the pond fronting the inexperienced, resulting in a double bogey that price him the lead.
It was a troublesome day of excessive scores on the blufftop municipal gem excessive above the Pacific Ocean. Detry took greatest intestine punch when he went from a one-shot lead on the 18th tee to dropping two photographs off the tempo.
Jaeger, a German who lives in Tennessee, had a 1-over 73 and was at 11-under 205 by means of 54 holes. Matthieu Pavon (72) of France and Nicolai Hojgaard (73) of Denmark have been at 10-under whereas Detry, of Belgium, was 9 below after his 73.
There very properly may very well be a first-time winner on the PGA Tour after the ultimate spherical. Jaeger has by no means gained on tour, and neither has any of the eight gamers inside three photographs of him. The match ends on Saturday to keep away from battle with the NFL’s convention title video games.
Detry, taking part in within the last group with Jaeger and Hojgaard, was at 11 below going into the 543-yard, par-5 18th with the backdrop of an excellent sundown. He hit a 293-yard drive and a 162-yard second shot that left him 92 yards from the opening. After his wedge spun too laborious and scooted into the pond, Detry lined his face together with his proper hand.
“I hit an incredible drive. I drove it nice on 18,” he mentioned. “I used to be simply in between 3-wood, hybrid. It has been a really lengthy day. I feel we performed in 5 hours 45 (minutes). I had a bit of little bit of mud on the ball. The lie wasn’t excellent, the sunshine was beginning to be — it was beginning to be darkish.
“There was a few various factors that weren’t in my favor,” he mentioned. “Clearly quick is a no-go. So we determined to be sensible and there we go, I obtained punched within the face.”
After taking a penalty, he hit to inside 24 ft and two-putted.
The pond is called Devlin’s Billabong for Australian Bruce Devlin, who was in rivalry for the 1975 Andy Williams San Diego Open earlier than taking seven hacks to get his ball out of the water on his approach to a ten.
There have been a lot of components for the excessive scores, together with powerful pin placements and thick tough that was soaked throughout a storm Monday that overwhelmed components of the town.
“I feel many of the greens right here slope from again to entrance and there was plenty of again flags,” Detry mentioned. “So, I imply, for those who’re coming in with a wedge, you clearly obtained plenty of spin. It is virtually not possible to get all of it the best way again there as a result of clearly lengthy miss is no-go as properly. I feel that was in all probability one of many principal causes.
“Additionally, with all of the rain and clearly the warmth the final couple of days, I feel the tough is juicier than ever. Clearly the greens with that many gamers making the minimize and folks strolling on these greens, the greens being smooth as properly, it isn’t straightforward to make putts on the market.”
5 gamers have been tied at 8 below whereas 9 have been 7 below, together with Xander Schauffele, a San Diegan who’s ranked No. 5 on the planet, and Tony Finau.
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