GREENSBORO, N.C. — Cameron Younger ran off 4 straight birdies on the entrance 9 and stretched his result in eight photographs Saturday earlier than he settled right into a sequence of pars for a 5-under 65, giving him a five-shot lead within the Wyndham Championship as he goes for his first PGA Tour victory.
Younger capped a bogey-free 65 within the storm-delayed second spherical within the morning. Then he stretched his lead along with his 4 straight birdies, together with a 30-footer on No. 4 and a two-putt birdie from 20 ft on the par-5 fifth.
“Simply performed some very nice golf there for about an hour,” Younger stated. “Had some alternatives on the again 9, too, simply did not make as many putts. However form of cruised together with hitting some common photographs via the center of the spherical, and good to complete up the best way I did.”
Nico Echavarria of Colombia minimize the margin to 4 photographs with three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the again 9. A last birdie gave him a 64.
Younger, who had gone 39 straight holes with no bogey at Sedgefield Nation Membership till lacking a 6-foot sliding par putt on the 14th gap, responded with a stupendous lag for a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifteenth, and a 10-foot birdie on the seventeenth to place the lead at 5.
“I am simply going to fret about what I am doing. As I stated, attempt to hit the very best photographs I can and attempt to gap the putts and we’ll add it up after 18,” Echavarria stated.
Younger is broadly thought-about the very best participant to by no means have received on a important tour, a runner-up seven instances since his rookie season in 2021. That features a World Golf Championship and extra notably the 2022 British Open at St. Andrews.
“I completed second a bunch. I’ve gotten beat quite a bit. I’ve performed some good golf on Sunday in actually all these instances,” Younger stated. “In order that’s all I am making an attempt to do tomorrow. I am beginning in a pleasant spot, so I am simply seeking to attempt to beat second place by as many as I can.”
He was at 20-under 190, needing a 67 on Sunday to set the match scoring file. What issues to Younger is a PGA Tour title, particularly now along with his final aim of being on the Ryder Cup workforce at Bethpage Black.
He was No. 9 within the Ryder Cup standings in 2023 and left off the workforce.
Younger grew up in New York at Sleepy Hole, the place his father was the longtime head professional. He had this Ryder Cup circled the day the PGA of America introduced it was going to the Lengthy Island public course.
A win would solely transfer him to No. 15, however it could definitely put him within the dialog along with his energy and historical past at Bethpage. He turned the primary newbie to win the New York State Open in 2017, setting a course file on the time with a 64 at Bethpage Black.
“That is been a aim this complete 12 months,” Younger stated. “I am making an attempt to simply have a look at that to simply take all of the small stuff that occurs day-to-day because it comes. At the back of my thoughts making an attempt to image myself on that workforce.”
Echavarria was the one participant inside eight photographs of Younger.
Defending champion Aaron Rai (69), Chris Kirk (67) and Mac Meissner (70) had been tied for third.
Kirk is at No. 73 within the FedEx Cup standings. The Wyndham Championship is the ultimate occasion within the common season and determines the highest 70 who advance to the profitable PGA Tour postseason that begins subsequent week in Memphis, Tennessee.
Davis Thompson (No. 78) was in a tie for seventh. Gary Woodland, enormously fashionable as he returns from mind surgical procedure practically two years in the past, is at No. 75 within the standings. He shot 70 and was tied for ninth, leaving him proper on the bubble of advancing to the FedEx Cup playoffs.
One of many greatest strikes got here Saturday morning. Matti Schmid is No. 70 within the FedEx Cup and was two photographs over the minimize line. However he performed his final six holes in 5-under par for a 65 and shot 68 within the afternoon. He was in a tie for thirteenth.
Additionally nonetheless with an outdoor likelihood are Danish twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, who’re at No. 71 and No. 82, respectively. Each completed 36 holes at 3-under 137 and figured they might miss the minimize. However the minimize dropped from 4 beneath to three beneath.
Rasmus Hojgaard shot 41 on the again 9 after teeing off at No. 10 within the third spherical, after which shot 29. Nicolai Hojgaard shot 38, after which had a 31 on the entrance 9. Each want a low one on Sunday, however they did not shoot themselves utterly out of it.