For most of Saturday’s third round, it looked like we were going to have a crowded leaderboard that would enter the final round of the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday. When the leaders took off early in the afternoon, there were about 50 players within four strokes of the lead. However, all of that was erased in the next few hours, when Matthew Wolff came out of the pack with an 8 under 64 to take a 3-shot lead in Round 4.
Wolff’s card was a bit of a roller coaster in Round 3 (which is always fun to watch), so let’s dig a little deeper into his performance and what happened on Saturday as we look towards the end of the fourth PGA Tour event. in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
1. Matthew Wolff (-19) – A great Wolff show on Saturday with an 8 under 64 that included nine birdies and an eagle. He grabbed a page from the playbook of Jordan Spieth’s scorecard in Round 3 and is now ready for his second victory (which also, surprisingly, would be his second top 10). No one has questioned the talent, which is immense. The most important question is about consistency in four rounds or four weeks or four months. However, when he’s on a beat, it’s very easy to see why he’s been so hyped up as a future superstar. And it is fashionable this week. He says it is because he has closed his mind and has been more carefree about the outcome (which is where he needs to live). Regardless of how it goes, it will be entertaining on Sunday.
S2 Ryan Armor (-16) – Last two holes for Armor which finished 7-3 for a 5-under 67. It’s the second from the tee to the green so far this week, which is an encouraging trend, but I wonder if there is enough power from fire to cut down Wolff and stop Webb Simpson and Bryson DeChambeau on Sunday. Armor is a good PGA Tour player who has won only once in his career (Sanderson Farms three years ago). If you win on Sunday, you will earn more in this tournament than all PGA Tour seasons except one in your career.
S2 Bryson DeChambeau (-16) – Bryson somehow continues to improve with his driver and worse with his irons. Only five golfers are winning at least one shot on the field with the driver this week, and Bryson is almost winning two. On the other hand, it is number 59 in blows won in approach shots and last in proximity to the hole. It seems like these numbers are impossible, but they are real and will likely prevent you from winning for the first time since late 2018.
T4 Seamus Power, Mark Hubbard, Troy Merritt, Chris Kirk (-14)
S8 Webb Simpson (-13) – I still like Simpson competing on Sunday (it’s also a fun 25-1 play to win). That sounds crazy, but he’s been very clean and leads the field in strokes won from the tee to the green. In the same way that it emerged at the end of the RBC Heritage with a shower of little birds, it seems that it has also saved some for the end of this event. His putting so far has been below average, especially for him, and that won’t last forever. If I’m Matthew Wolff, Bryson is the player that worries me the most behind me, but I also have an eye on Webb.
T8 Wesley Bryan, Luke List, Viktor Hovland, Matt Wallace (-13) – This is probably the bottom line of who could win this tournament, unless someone shoots a 59 or something silly more deeply. Hovland has a ghost in the week and has been absolutely hitting the golf ball. Unfortunately for him, his putter has cooled down and he’s missing hits on the field on the greens. If he finds something hot on Sunday, he could have 63 or 64 to win.
Watch round 3 of the Rocket Mortgage Classic from 3 to 6 p.m. ET on CBS and stream live on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports app. We will be with you all the time updating this story with the latest scores, updates and highlights below. Check out live scores at the top of this story or a more detailed leaderboard.
