AVONDALE, La. — Former BYU teammates Patrick Fishburn and Zac Blair shot a 12-under 60 in better-ball play Saturday to take the third-round lead within the Zurich Traditional of New Orleans, the PGA Tour’s solely workforce occasion.
At 23-under 193, Fishburn and Blair had a one-stroke lead over Luke Record and Henrik Norlander, with the Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry — tied for the lead after every of the primary two rounds — two strokes again.
Fishburn and Blair, each winless on the PGA Tour, have been enjoying golf collectively since their junior highschool days in Ogden, Utah.
“It is sort of why you are out right here enjoying, is to have alternatives like this,” Blair stated. “I have been out right here a handful of years now, so I do know that they do not come that always, and so we’ll do our greatest to go make the most of it.”
Fishburn had three birdies and an eagle on the primary 5 holes at wind-swept TPC Louisiana, the place the wind gusted to 25 mph. Windy situations are additionally anticipated for Sunday for the alternate-shot finale.
Record and Norlander had a 62. Record eagled the second and eleventh holes.
“We simply bought in a very good rhythm early,” Norlander stated. “I felt like we have been each hitting fairways. Not essentially hitting it actually shut, however it felt like early we had two probabilities on each gap.”
McIlroy and Lowry shook off a gradual begin to birdie seven of their final 12 holes. They shot 64 to affix Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard, who additionally had a 64, at 21 below. Canadians Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin topped the group at 20 below.
“Look, it was a tricky day,” McIlroy stated. “Birdies have been just a little tougher to come back by right now than they have been on Thursday within the better-ball format. I believe right now was about staying affected person figuring out that the course was going to current some alternatives, particularly on that again 9.”
Fishburn and Blair have been a stroke off the event report.
“Simply sort of rode Fish all day,” Blair stated. “He performed good. I imply, it was fairly textbook on the market for him.”
They made the flip in 7-under 29 and birdied 5 of the primary six holes on the again 9 earlier than ending with three pars.
“It is fairly straightforward to hit photographs when Zac is all the time within the fairway, all the time on the inexperienced,” Fishburn stated. “We ham-and-egged it actually good right now.”
