Justin Thomas has been close to winning the WGC-Mexico Championship before and he’s right there again.
The fourth-ranked Thomas, who has missed the cut in two of his last three starts after winning the Sentry Tournament of Champions, carded a 6-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Patrick Reed and Erik van Rooyen of South Africa at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City.
“I feel like I have a little unfinished business here,” said Thomas, who has finished in the top 10 each of the last three years at Chapultepec, including second two years ago. “I’ve been close a few times here without winning and I really like to get that first place.
“There are a lot of great players breathing down my neck and I will have to play well tomorrow to win the tournament, but I really want it.”
Thomas, whose only victory in the World Golf Championships came in the 2018 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, made bogeys on the first and last holes, but had eight birdies in between while finishing 54 holes at 15-under 198.
Reed, who won this tournament in 2014 when it was played at Doral in Miami, made four birdies early on the back nine and was tied for the lead until making a bogey on the last hole to cap a 67, while Van Rooyen followed his 62 with a 67 that was highlighted by an 11-foot eagle putt on the second hole.
“I was a little sloppy today, made a couple of mental errors, but I hit a lot of good shots, too,” said Reed, who collected four birdies on the first six holes of the back nine. “One shot back going to tomorrow is all I can ask for. I have a chance to win the golf tournament and I know what I need to do.”
Third-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain, seeking his first WGC victory, broke the course record with a brilliant 61 that included a hole in one on the 17th hole and is four behind in a tie for fourth with top-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who shot 68, and second-round leader Bryson DeChambeau, who made three bogeys down the stretch to finish at 71.
Rahm’s shot with a wedge at No. 17 took one bounce and disappeared into the hole.
“I wasn’t sure it went in because I couldn’t see it, but the crowd let me know,” Rahm said. “I played great and today was my lucky day.”
Englishmen Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton both wound up at 66 and are five shots back in a tie for seventh, while reigning U.S. Open champion and Kevin Na both had 65s and are one more down in a tie for ninth with two-time WGC winner Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who came in at 71.
Seventh-ranked Adam Scott of Australia, who won the Genesis Invitational at Riviera last week, carded a 68 and is in a tie for 24th that includes 10th-ranked Xander Schauffele of La Jolla and San Diego State, who had a 66.
Defending champion and fifth-ranked Dustin Johnson shot 67 and is tied for 41st, while eighth-ranked Webb Simpson is tied for 60th following a 74.
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