UPDATE: Garrick Higgo has just matched the course record at El Cardonal in Baja California, Mexico, shooting an astonishing 11-under 61 to seize a crucial one-stroke lead over Carson Young heading into the final round of the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship.
In a remarkable display of skill, the 26-year-old South African kicked off his round by chipping in for eagle on the par-5 first hole, then parred the second before unleashing a barrage of five consecutive birdies. Higgo’s front nine culminated in a blistering 7-under 29, and he continued his dominance with four additional birdies on the back nine, finishing the day at 22-under 194.
“Hit it great, made a lot of good putts and chipped in once,” Higgo stated. “Just everything was really solid and took advantage of the opportunities that I had.”
Carson Young, who remains in contention, recorded 11 birdies against two bogeys for a score of 63. The 30-year-old American expressed determination as he aims for his first PGA Tour victory: “Just keep doing what I’m doing and focus on playing my game and not looking at the leaderboard too much or worrying about others,” he said. “I’m excited about it because last year I finished second here and missed out by one in a playoff. Kind of feels like revenge here to be in the final group again.”
Chasing Higgo and Young are Ryder Cup rookie Ben Griffin, who shot 66, Trevor Cone with a score of 65, and Chad Ramey at 67, all two strokes off the lead. With only three tournaments remaining this season, including this pivotal event, the pressure intensifies as players vie for spots in the top 100 of the FedEx Cup standings, a decrease from the previous 125, to secure full PGA Tour cards for the next year.
Currently, Higgo ranks 57th in the standings, while Young sits at 136th. Notably, Higgo clinched his second PGA Tour title earlier this year at the Corales Puntacana Championship in April, a tournament played concurrently with the RBC Heritage.
“Not really anything new,” Higgo remarked. “Just doing a lot of the same stuff.”
In contrast, Luke List faced a dismal round, scoring a staggering 12 on the par-4 15th hole, finishing with a total of 85. This score marks the second-highest hole score on the PGA Tour this year, only behind William Mouw’s 13 at the par-5 16th during The American Express. List’s performance leaves him trailing the weekend qualifiers by a significant margin.
As the final round approaches, all eyes are on Higgo and Young. Will Higgo maintain his lead, or can Young finally break through for his first PGA Tour victory? Stay tuned for what promises to be an electrifying conclusion to the World Wide Technology Championship.
