Summary
LOS CABOS, Mexico (AP) — South African golfer Garrick Higgo shot a spectacular 11-under-par 61 on Saturday, tying the course record at El Cardonal (Diamante Resort) and taking a one-stroke lead over Carson Young heading into the final round of the World Wide Technology Championship. Higgo, who already had a win this season, started with an eagle on the par-5 front nine, parred the second, and then strung together five consecutive birdies for a 29.
The 26-year-old left-hander added four more birdies on the back nine, closing with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole, for a total of 22 under par 194.
“I hit the ball really well, made a lot of good putts, and chipped once,” Higgo said. “Everything was really solid, and I took advantage of the opportunities I had.” This score is the lowest of his PGA Tour career and makes him the sixth player to record a 61 on this course.
Carson Young, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour, carded 11 birdies and two bogeys for a 63. “Just keep doing what I’m doing, focusing on my game and not looking too much at the leaderboard,” Young said. “I’m excited because I finished second here last year and lost in a playoff. It feels like a rematch to be in the final group again. I’m eager to see if I can make it.”
Key details
In other results, Ben Griffin (66), Trevor Cone (65), and Chad Ramey (67) are two strokes back. Sami Valimaki (69) is 19 under par, while second-round leader Matti Schmid (71) is 18 under par. On Thursday, both Valimaki and Nick Dunlap shot a 61.
There are only three tournaments left this season, including this one in southern Baja California. The top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings, which have dropped from 125 in previous years, will retain their full PGA Tour cards for next season. Currently, Higgo is ranked 57th, Young 136th, Cone 179th, Ramey 123rd, Valimaki 103rd, and Schmid 70th. Griffin has two wins this season.
Higgo was crowned champion at the Corales Puntacana Championship in April in the Dominican Republic, earning his second PGA Tour title. That tournament was held concurrently with the RBC Heritage. The former UNLV player has had three top-seven finishes in recent tournaments, tying for seventh in Silverado, second in Mississippi, and fourth in Japan. “It’s really nothing new,” Higgo said. “I’m just doing a lot of the same things.”
Statements and context
In a notable incident, Luke List had a rough day on the 15th hole, where he carded a 12 on a round of 85, the second-highest score on a hole on the PGA Tour this year, trailing only William Mouw's 13 on the par-5 16th during the second round of The American Express at the PGA West Stadium Course. List finished last among the 75 qualifiers for the weekend at 6 over par.
