The survival test that is the BMW Championship heads for its conclusion with Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama tied for the lead.
There are just two players under par out of the field of 69 at Olympia Fields with Johnson and Matsuyama in at a measly one-under par. D.J. and Hideki, playing together, shot identical 69s. Adam Scott (70), Mackenzie Hughes (69) and Joaquin Niemann (68) head into Sunday’s final two shots back at one-over par.
Overnight leader Rory McIlroy found the rough too often with his driver and a 73 put him in at two-over along with Bubba Watson (70) and Jon Rahm, who tied the low round of the week with 66. Rahm could have posted 65 had he not had a mental lapse. He picked up his ball on the fifth green without marking it and immediately realized his breach.
“I was holding my marker in my pocket, just went at it, and for some reason I just picked up the ball thinking I marked it already,” Rahm said. “I don’t know if the camera saw my face or not, but I mean, when I was touching it just off the ground, I knew. And I looked at Adam (Hayesm his caddie) like, I just froze. I didn’t know. I didn’t know what happened, how it happened or how to proceed. That’s all I can say.”
McIlroy, whose wife Erica is expecting their first child, a girl, within a few days, bogeyed the final hole to fall out of the group at one-over.
Earlier in the day, Tiger Woods was under par for his first nine holes but once again fought to get home under par and didn’t. Woods shot 72 and is in at 10-over with no chance of making it to East Lake. Woods played with PGA champ Collin Morikawa. Morikawa shot 68 to get to seven-over.
