The American Express golf tournament is heating up, with a seasoned pro and a rising star neck-and-neck with the world number one!
As the third round of the American Express in California wraps up, South Korea's Si-Woo Kim has surged ahead, taking a one-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler and the incredibly talented 18-year-old American, Blades Brown. This is shaping up to be a thrilling conclusion!
Let's look at the current standings:
- -22: S-Woo Kim (South Korea)
- -21: B Brown (USA), S Scheffler (USA)
- -20: W Clark (USA), E Cole (USA)
- -19: T Hoge (USA), M McCarty (USA), A Putnam (USA)
Some other notable players are also in the mix:
- -15: M Fitzpatrick (England), R Fowler (USA)
- -14: R MacIntyre (Scotland), A Scott (Australia)
- -13: S Power (Ireland)
- -12: J Parry (England)
Si-Woo Kim, who's aiming for his second victory at this event, put on a fantastic display with a 66 in his third round. His performance included an impressive seven birdies and just one bogey, propelling him to the top of the leaderboard at 22 under par. When asked about his strategy, Kim shared, "Just not thinking about trying to win or trying to finish, just enjoy the round. That's my goal." A simple yet effective approach!
Meanwhile, American Scottie Scheffler, making his first PGA Tour appearance of the season and currently the world number one, alongside the young phenom Blades Brown, both posted a 68. If Brown were to win, he would become the second youngest PGA Tour event winner ever, which is a monumental achievement at just 18 years old!
Scheffler, who recorded six birdies and two bogeys, commented on the conditions, "I think I did pretty good. There's definitely challenging aspects to playing in the wind out here. [I've] just got to be a little sharper tomorrow."
Brown, on the other hand, had a stellar round with five birdies and a bogey. But here's where it gets really exciting: three of Brown's birdies came in the final three holes, including an incredible 44-footer on the 18th! He expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "That to me is a lot of fun. I love environments like that, especially 17. There's so many people around it, it gets your adrenaline up. And that's what you play and practise for, right?" He's clearly thriving under pressure.
An interesting note about this tournament is the unique format where players tackle three different courses over the first three rounds. Kim's impressive third round took place on the La Quinta Country Club course, while Scheffler and Brown navigated the challenging Pete Dye stadium course.
Brown is looking forward to the final stretch, adding, "Another 18 holes and we're going to see what we can do."
And this is the part most people miss: The contrast between Kim's veteran experience and Brown's youthful exuberance, both chasing the same prize, is truly captivating. Could the pressure of being world number one get to Scheffler, or will he prove why he's at the top? And what will the young sensation Brown do with just one more round to go?
What do you think? Will Si-Woo Kim hold on for the win, or will Scottie Scheffler reclaim his dominance? Or could Blades Brown pull off a historic victory? Let us know your predictions in the comments below!
