Rocket recap: Highlights from Day 3 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic

DETROIT — Here's a snapshot look at Round 3 of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club on Saturday.

Round 3 recap

It was a matter of who would blink first, and the truth is, neither really did. Akshay Bhatia, seeking his third PGA Tour win, and Aaron Rai, looking for his first, ended Saturday's third round right where they started it: sharing the lead. Bhatia shot a bogey-free, 4-under 68 (he still hasn't made a bogey this week), while Rai worked around his first bogey of the week to match Bhatia at 68. They were at 17 under, a shot clear of Cameron Young, who still is seeking his first PGA Tour win, and Cam Davis, who is looking for his second after winning the Rocket in a playoff in 2021.

Shot of the day

There was barely any roll in the fairways Saturday because of the wet conditions, which made the par-5s — normally very gettable at DGC — play longer than normal. That left Rai with 281 yards into the 17th hole, and he went with the coolest of shots, the driver off the deck, and smoked it, ended up just short left of the green. That made for a relatively easy pitch from 45 feet, which he left about 9 feet short. No worries, he rolled it in for the birdie, to match Akshay Bhatia, who had just poured in a birdie putt of his own. Sorry. No aces Saturday.

Hole of the day

The par-5 14th always plays among the easiest holes at DGC, and on Saturday, it played as the second-easiest, averaging 0.446 strokes under par, even though the wet conditions made it play longer. There were 34 birdies on the hole (to just 33 pars), as well as two eagles. The eagles, interestingly, didn't even win a skin. They came in the same group, when 42-year-old David Skinns rolled in a long putt (en route to a 67; he was at 12 under), and then 20-year-old amateur Luke Clanton paid off a stiff 5-iron, tapping his in (en route to a 65; he was at 14 under).

Stat of the day

Akshay Bhatia remains without a bogey through three rounds, and is trying to become the first player since J.T. Poston in 2019 to win a 72-hold PGA Tour tournament without making a bogey. Before Poston, the last to do it had been Lee Trevino, back in 1974. Back in 2021 at the Rocket, Joaquin Niemann played 72 holes bogey-free to get himself into a playoff, then made bogey on the first playoff even. Cam Davis held off Troy Merritt on the fifth hole.

Souvenir of the day

...continued

swipe to next page