It’s the kind of golf that only the hardest – or sleep-deprived – Americans could watch: those few events that take place overseas and are played when most golf fans in the United States are asleep.
But those who tune in at the end of the PGA Tour Baycurrent Classic on Saturday night through Sunday morning – you can watch 11 pm-3 am ET on the Golf Channel – you might find something worth the investment.
There is a three-way tie for first place — Michael Brennan, Zach Bauchou and Jacob Bridgeman are tied at 13 under — and five players are just one off the lead. This group includes Adam Scott, Justin Thomas and Keith Mitchell. Further down the list, Max Homa is 10 under and three behind, and Xander Schauffele is four off the lead.
It’s only the second time this season three players are tied for the 54-hole lead.
Brennan is after his second victory of the season, while Bridgeman, who won the Biltmore Asheville Championship last month, he is looking for his third and could do so in back-to-back parts. Bauchou, a 30-year-old rookie, has yet to win on Tour, but this is only his 31st start.
“I just feel like my game has been pretty solid all year,” Bauchou said. “The weeks that I drove it well, I didn’t hit my irons that well, and the weeks that I hit my irons that well, I didn’t drive it that well. But this week I drove the ball pretty well, which is important out there because the fairways are pretty tight, and then I hit a lot of short iron shots, which is so nice to do. to have a chance to win definitely excited about it.
Although the handful of hunters have more established resumes.
Thomas has always played well overseas. He has been runner-up in this event twice and four of his 16 PGA Tour victories have come in Malaysia or South Korea.
“I want to know (because I played well here) because I would like to channel it all year,” Thomas said. “I’m not sure. I have a great track. I’ll try to use that to my advantage. I really like to come to these events. I think it’s just something to say and it’s kind of cool and special when you can play in front of people that we never really have the opportunity to be in front of and see and play. I think that the golf courses are obviously much cooler and a unique golf experience. Tournament Could be something to say about that, I’d like to understand why it would be nice to do more often.
And then there’s Scott, the Masters champion who has won 14 times on the PGA Tour but hasn’t since the 2020 Genesis Invitational.
“It’s been six years since I won on the PGA Tour; I’m frustrated by that,” Scott said. “I feel like there was some good golf in there and I didn’t make the most of it, but it also shows how hard it is to win on the PGA Tour now. So this is a great chance for me tomorrow to go out and have a great round and hopefully it’s better than everyone else.”