Russell Henley remains flawless at the 2022 World Wide Technology Championship, having now gone bogey-free over the first 54 holes to (once again) set an event record pace at 22 under. Good for a six-stroke lead, the Georgia Bulldog will look to keep his foot on the gas tomorrow and turn this runaway effort at Mayakoba into his fourth career victory on the PGA Tour.
Beginning the third round with a three-stroke lead, Henley was cool, calm and collected from the start as he tacked on a birdie on his opening hole to extend his overnight margin. Losing his tee shot on the following hole, the 33-year-old was able to get up and down after a penalty stroke to maintain his bogey-free streak and keep his closest pursuers at bay.
Three additional birdies over a four-hole stretch on his front side helped Henley reach 20 under by the time he made the turn. With two more par breakers on his inward half, including one from distance on the par-3 15th, Henley has now signed for rounds of 63-63-65 around El Camaleon Golf Club and doubled his 36-hole lead heading into the final round.
First-round leader Will Gordon remains Henley’s closest competition at 16 under as the former Vanderbilt standout continues to shine in his return to the PGA Tour. Fellow SEC alums in need of a big final day to chase down Henley include Auburn’s Patton Kizzire at 16 under and fellow Georgia Bulldogs Brian Harman at 14 under and Greyson Sigg at 13 under.
The leader
1. Russell Henley (-22)
There is not much more to say when it comes to what Henley is doing. Commanding the largest 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour since Billy Horschel’s five-stroke edge at the Memorial, Henley has been on cruise control ever since the first tee shot on Thursday.
He has bested the previous low 54-hole total on the PGA Tour this season by three strokes thanks in part to his steady driving and impressive iron play. At 22 under, he sits one off Viktor Hovland’s winning score from last year’s event — a tournament record with a high likelihood to be broken tomorrow.
Other contenders
T2. Will Gordon, Patton Kizzire (-16)
4. Seamus Power (-15)
T5. Troy Merritt, Brian Harman (-14)
T7. Viktor Hovland, Greyson Sigg, Matthias Schwab, Thomas Detry (-13)
Not many players have had a better start to the 2022-23 season than Detry as the Belgian entered the campaign without full-time status. Already locking up his card courtesy of a runner-up finish at the Bermuda Championship and two additional top-15 efforts, Detry is on the trajectory of not only becoming a mainstay on the PGA Tour, but potentially playing his way onto the European Ryder Cup Team in Rome next fall. While still ways away, the fall swing has been a revelation for the DP World Tour staple and captain Luke Donald has surely taken notice.
“I wouldn’t say more aggressive, but certainly more freely really,” said Detry of securing his PGA Tour card. “I felt no pressure at all today. I’m in contention and I was just cruising out there, I was putting well. I actually didn’t hit the ball — it wasn’t really my best ball-striking day so I’m going to do a little bit of work on the range. But I putted really well. I managed to hole some good ones for par and made some good ones for birdie as well.”
Aces are wild
As if one ace wasn’t enough, how about two more. After Brian Harman kicked the party off on Friday on the par-3 4th, both Greyson Sigg and Seamus Power joined him in the celebrations on Saturday. The Irishman who won last week at the 2022 Bermuda Championship added another hole-out just three holes later and finds his name on the first page of the leaderboard thanks to a stellar third round.
“On eight, the hole-in-one, I think it was 138, it was 6 or 8 and it was a very similar number and a very similar wind to the first round, so I knew it was going to be spot on for a club,” said Power. “I hit it to maybe four feet on Thursday, very same numbers, very same winds, so I hit the same shot and obviously landed a foot long left and spun back in.”
Hovland’s three-peat bid likely to come up short
Looking to join Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods and Stuart Appleby as the only men since 1980 to win an event three years in a row, Hovland’s effort this week will likely come up just short. At 13 under, he has carded three straight rounds in the 60s — and 12 consecutive at El Camaleon overall — but is no match for what Henley is doing.
“It was a lot of good stuff today. Overall like I’m playing really consistent, but missing way too many putts even though I did make some putts today,” said Hovland. “Just missing way too many putts today and yesterday. At least it’s nice to feel like the ball-striking’s back to where it should be and I feel like I can take it low tomorrow.”
2022 Mayakoba updated odds and picks
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
- Russell Henley: 17/100
- Will Gordon: 18-1
- Seamus Power: 25-1
- Patton Kizzire: 25-1
- Brian Harman: 50-1
- Viktor Hovland: 55-1
Sometimes, it is fine to sit out the final round of a PGA Tour event, and this may be the case for Sunday. Henley should be able to seal the deal, however, at 17/100 (-588), the juice may not be worth the squeeze knowing his track record of final-round meltdowns. Hardly going out on a limb suggesting he will win, the sensible option may be to sit back, relax and simply enjoy the golf without any money tied up.