Jason Day cooled a bit but still shot 2-under-par 69 on Saturday to take a six-stroke lead over Scott Piercy and rookie Daniel Berger into the final round of the BMW Championship, the penultimate event of the FedEx Cup playoffs, at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill.
Day, the PGA champion who tied the PGA Tour’s 36-hole record by starting 61-63 — 124, collected six birdies but also had four bogeys in the third round. He was at 20 under after 54 holes, holing a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.
“It was very different today with a northwestly wind,” said Day, the FedEx Cup points leader who can take the No. 1 spot in the World Golf Rankings from Rory McIlroy with a victory on Sunday. “That made it more difficult and the pins were tougher, the greens quicker.
“I wasn’t quite as committed to my swing, so to shoot 69 and add one stroke to my lead was good. I’m still trying to make as many birdies as I can. I’m going to get some rest and hopefully I can pull it off.”
The Aussie, who has won three of his last five tournaments, holds the largest 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour this season.
Piercy, who claimed his third PGA Tour victory in July at the Barbasol Championship, had six birdies in a 67, and Berger rallied from a double-bogey 6 on the 10th hole with three straight birdies through No. 16 to salvage a 70.
McIlroy birdied three of the last four holes to shoot 67 and was seven shots behind in solo fourth. Rickie Fowler had six birdies in a 66 and was another stroke back in a tie for fifth with Dustin Johnson, who had a 68 with seven birdies, and Kevin Na, who birdied the last two holes for a 70.
“You want to be out there trying to win the tournament, not thinking about trying to finish third or second,” said McIlroy, who seems to be regaining his form after missing six weeks in July and August because of a left ankle injury sustained while playing soccer with friends. “But the tournament is in Jason’s hands. It’s up to us who are behind him to get off to fast starts Sunday and he needs to come back to the field a little bit.”
J.B. Holmes totaled 67 and was nine shots down in a tie for eighth with Harris English, who had a 69, and rookie Justin Thomas, who came in at 70 with bogeys on the first and last holes.
Jordan Spieth, No. 2 in the FedEx Cup standings and the World Golf Rankings, struggled to a 72 and slid to a tie for 11th.
Phil Mickelson also shot 72 and was tied for 41st, virtually ending his chances to climb into the top 30 in the point standings and qualify for the Tour Championship next week.
