It’s been a mixed outing for the Australians at the Houston Open, with cult hero Min Woo Lee near the top of the leaderboard at the end of the third round but rising star Karl Vilips left to rue a missed birdie opportunity that turned into a triple bogey.
USA’s Gary Woodland stayed in front at the end of the round on Sunday morning (AEDT) after adding a pair of birdies late, holding a a one-shot lead over Nicolai Højgaard.
Lee – who won the event last year – is tied for third with Michael Thorbjornsen, but sit five shots behind Højgaard.
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Last year’s winner produced a stunning shot on the 17th hole, hitting the ball from out of the bunker while on his knees and ending up claiming a birdie.
Min Woo Lee plays a shot from the bunker. Getty
Jason Day is tied for fifth at -11 while another Aussie in Adam Scott is another two strokes behind on the leaderboard with one round to go.
Things weren’t as positive for Vilips however, who is tied 27th after a horror round.
The 24-year-old had a chance to seal a birdie but due to the ugly placement of the pin, the Aussie ended up with a triple bogey.
Controversy aside, the day belonged to Woodland, who has become a popular figure in golf for the way he has handled his recovery from brain surgery in 2023 and earlier this month opening up on his struggles with post-traumatic syndrome disorder.
His golf has looked as good as ever, with full control of his swing and full use of his athletic power.
“I’ve just got to take a deep breath,” Woodland said.
“I’ll have a good night ahead of me tonight to recover and rest, and tomorrow just don’t get ahead of yourself. I’m here, I put myself in this position for a reason.”
His performance marked the first time he had held a lead at the end of 54 holes since his major title in 2019 at Pebble Beach.
Gary Woodland at the Houston Open. Getty
Højgaard was right there with him, hitting a nice chip on the 16th for a birdie and getting up-and-down from a bunker on the 17th for another one.
He has made 15 birdies and one eagle the last two rounds.
The final day in Houston is a big one for many players looking to book a Masters spot, with only the top 50 making it into the marquee event.
Højgaard is still not in the Masters, though at No.47 is virtually a lock to stay in the top 50 barring a curious chain of events.
Woodland would need nothing short of a victory to get back to the Masters, even a perk such as that is secondary considering all he has gone through.