Australia’s Jason Day fired a two-under par 70 Saturday to maintain a two-stroke lead after the rainy third round of the US PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
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That left the 26-year-old, who found the water three times in an opening 75 before recovering with a 67 on Friday, 13 shots behind Day and course specialist Henrik Stenson, who has finished second, fifth and eighth in his last three starts at Bay Hill.
Stenson matched Day’s two-putt birdie at the fourth before holing the next from six feet, moving into a share of the lead when the world No 3’s close-range par-save lipped out.
Jason Day leads by two at the halfway stage of the Arnold Palmer Invitational but Justin Rose is hot on his heels. “Stenson opened up his day with a disappointing 5’7” par-saving failure at the par-3 second hole.
Rory McIlroy made the cut with a 67, though he was still 11 shots behind Day. “I mean 13, like I said 13, 14-under is usually average that, wins the tournament around here”. Boasting one of the purest swings on tour, Rose has quietly had a nice season thus far but hasn’t really contended.
After a rollercoaster first round that included two eagles and a double-bogey, Rose was pleased to notch six birdies without a bogey.
“That was the missing part for me earlier in the year, that focus and that kind of killer instinct going into each shot like it’s my last…”
Day double bogeyed the ninth on Thursday, but since then, he is 12 under over his last 27 holes at Bay Hill with no bogeys, 10 birdies and one eagle.
Scott is looking to become the first player since Tiger Woods in 2008 to win three consecutive starts on the PGA Tour. Dunne sits four-under par, nine shots behind Australian leader Terry Pilkadaris.
“I have to make sure that I’m out there not to try and get soaked up in much of his and go to single focus”, he said.
Any time you’re shooting six under, especially at a golf course like this (Bay Hill), with how tough everything is, it does wonders for your confidence. “I shot 18 under the first two days and shot 4 under the next two days, which is very boring golf”.
“I hate playing bad golf, I really do”, Day said. “Yesterday was a weird one because last week at home I was hitting the ball so well”.
“Then I knocked the flag over for a couple, I hit it about 2 feet on the next hole, then I hit it 8 feet on the next hole, and then I hit it 7 feet on the next hole”. Stenson had two-putt birdies on both par 5s, made a 5-foot birdie on the 10th and a 15-foot birdie putt on the 14th.
“At the BMW, I showed a lot of patience”, he said.
“Today I hit some phenomenal drives to set up some great irons into the greens”. But I won, which was great.
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“I didn’t play my best golf tee to green, but I chipped and putted really well today”, he explained.
