Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Austin Smotherman responded with a string of birdies each time someone caught him in the Utah Championship, making one last birdie on the 18th hole for a six-under 65 and a one-shot lead over fellow American Doug Ghim going into the final round.
At stake for Smotherman and Ghim is a chance at their first PGA Tour victory. Smotherman is making his 100th career start, Ghim his 192nd.
“I think it’s good pressure,” Smotherman said after the third round on Saturday (Sunday AEDT). “That’s what we work for. That’s the spot you want to be. Coming down, you kind of hold all the cards. I’m sure there’s going to be some energy.”
Smotherman three-putted from just outside 30 feet on the par-4 10th, a bogey that enabled compatriot Kevin Streelman to tie him for the lead. Smotherman then birdied three of the next four holes.
Then it was Ghim’s turn. He holed an eight-foot birdie on the par-3 17th and birdied the par-5 closing hole at Black Desert Resort.
Both times the birdie gave him a share of the lead. Both times Smotherman, in the final group behind him, matched birdies.
The last birdie was a 12-footer that put Smotherman at 23-under 190.
So much of the focus on the FedEx Cup Fall Series is on the top 100 players who secure full PGA Tour cards for 2027. But there’s a huge perk for the winners of the eight tournaments – a two-year exemption, which includes starting 2028 on the top-tier Championship Series.
Streelman is the only player from the top five on the leaderboard to have won on the PGA Tour, and the stakes are high for him, too. He had a major medical exemption expire and now is battling to regain his card.
He was tied with Smotherman until a four-shot swing on the 13th hole.
Smotherman made a birdie, while Streelman drove into the water off the tee and had to hit again, then found a bunker with his approach and failed to get up-and-down, making triple bogey.
Streelman birdied two of his last three holes and was five shots behind, along with Trace Crowe and Ben James, each after a 64.
Ghim fell back with his first bogey of the tournament on the par-5 ninth.
He answered with six birdies on the back nine to get back into the game, giving him a good chance to finally get that first PGA Tour title.
“It’s what we come here to do – 191 times before I wanted to win, and I get another opportunity to do it tomorrow,” Ghim said.
