Abraham Ancer of Mexico is trying to win on the PGA Tour for the first time and he is atop the leaderboard heading to the final round of the Dell Technologies Championship.
The 27-year-old Ancer, who missed the cut last week in The Northern Trust, shot 6-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis and Tyrrell Hatton of England at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass.
“There’s definitely a very fine line out here between fighting to make the cut and trying to win the tournament,” said Ancer, whose only pro victory came in the 2015 Nova Scotia Open on the Web.com Tour. “It’s a goofy game. I hit the ball well last week and hit what I thought were good putts, but they just didn’t go in.
“I’m going to draw on playing in the final round of the Quicken Loans (National) with Francesco (Molinari), try to figure out what I did right and the mistakes I made. I’m going to focus on that and try to win tomorrow.”
Ancer, who held the lead heading to the final round of the Quicken Loans National in July but shot 72 and tied for fourth as Molinari won with a 62, birdied six of the first nine holes at TPC Boston and posted a 54-hole score of 13-under 200.
DeChambeau hit a brilliant shot from 236 yards to within two feet for a closing eagle in a 63, while Hatton finished off a 69 with a five-foot birdie putt on the last hole.
Fourth-ranked Justin Rose of England totaled 70 and is two shots back in a tie for fourth with Cameron Smith of Australia, who had a bogey-free 67, while Emiliano Grillo of Argentina had five birdies on the back nine in a 64 that left him one more down in a tie for sixth with Kyle Stanley, who put up a bogey-free 66.
Seventh-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland carded a 66 and is four strokes back in a tie for eighth with ninth-ranked Jordan Spieth, who finished at 68, Tony Finau, who had a 67, and Beau Hossler of Mission Viejo, who wound up at 68.
Second-ranked Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods shot 68s and are tied for 16th, while second-round leader Webb Simpson struggled to a 76 and is tied for 25th.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson is tied for 33rd after a 72, 10th-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain totaled 70 and is tied for 40th, Phil Mickelson is tied for 50th following a 67, and third-ranked Justin Thomas had a 70 and is tied for 60th.
For complete results, visit https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html
