Ryan Moore had the second-lowest score of the third round. He's pleased to see the 65 go up on the board and will start play on Sunday two shots off the lead. But being a UNLV grad, he knows a few things about odds and is aware they aren't in his favor when it comes to winning the FedEx Cup are too long to imagine.
“I honestly have no chance to win the FedEx Cup,” Moore said. “That is my reality. But I do have a chance to win a golf tournament. That is my focus.”
To win the FedEx Cup, Moore would have to win the Tour Championship and have several other unlikely events occur, including Rory McIlroy finishing 25th or worse.
Moore’s only PGA Tour victory came at the 2009 Wyndham Championship. This year his best finish was a tie for fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He’s had six top-10s, including ties for 10th at the past two FedEx Cup events, the Deutsche Bank Championship and the BMW Championship.
“I’m pretty happy with the way I played today, and I’m going to try to keep attacking the golf courses the same way.”
Donald’s notable eagle
Luke Donald has played enough rounds with Tiger Woods to know the scenario isn't always easy. The gallery following the twosome Saturday was at least twice the size of all the others. But there are some advantages, too, when you travel in Tiger's shadow.
Like at the 14th hole, when Donald sent a shock wave through the Woods-friendly fan base by holing an 8-iron from 166 yards for an eagle.
The deuce at the 450-yard hole sparked Donald to a 31 on the back nine, giving him a 67. He's tied for 11th, five strokes behind Brandt Snedeker.
No-so-easy Ryder
McIlroy is trying to focus on winning The Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup, but the East Lake fans keep bringing up next week’s Ryder Cup in Chicago.
“It’s funny,” McIlroy said. “People are saying, ‘Don’t do that at Medinah next week,” if I hole a putt or whatever, so it’s hard not to think about it.”
McIlroy shot a 68 on Saturday and is only three shots off the lead. The world’s No. 1-ranked player will be a key player on next week’s European Ryder Cup team.
“It’s going to be very different for me,” McIlroy said. “I’m not used to anyone sort of rooting against me, so it’s going to be a little different. But I’m looking forward to it. It should be great.”
Good TV numbers
Golf Channel reported that Thursday’s broadcast of The Tour Championship brought a 1.2 rating, making it the network’s most-watched first round since 2009. Approximately 1.1 million viewers tuned in. The numbers were 121 percent better than a year ago.
The network said that viewership for Thursday’s programming, including Golf Central and the live broadcast, was the second-highest of the year.
By the numbers
The toughest hole Saturday was the 481-yard 16th, which played to an average of 4.433 shots. No one birdied the hole, and Bubba Watson took a double-bogey there.
The easiest hole was No. 15, the 525-yard par 5. It played to a stroke average of 4.467. Fifteen players made birdie there, and Hunter Mahan had the only eagle. Only Steve Stricker made a bogey there.
Quotable
“It’s like hitting into a double-car garage.”
— broadcaster Peter Jacobson, on the narrow 14th fairway
Etc.
Fans are allowed to have their cellphones on the course, but may use them only in certain approved zones. They are not permitted to take photographs, a rule broken more often than it is obeyed. The marshal at the ninth green, after admonishing the fans seated in the area about the no-photo rule, added, "If you've got to have a picture of Tiger, just don't take it on my hole."A marshal was spotted on one hole making a fan delete the photos they had taken with their smartphone. … Mahan was only a few yards off the ninth green in two shots, but hit a poor flop shot on his approach and wound up 27 feet above the hole. Mahan calmly made the putt for birdie. … Jason Dufner's approach shot at No. 9 rolled over the green and settled on top of the plastic irrigation cover. After taking a drop, Dufner nearly rolled in the 61-foot putt, only to miss the three-foot comebacker to settle for par… . . Sergio Garcia got a bad break when his approach shot at No. 9 hit the flag stick and bounced about 25 feet away. Garcia stood with his hands on his hips for several moments before two-putting for his par.
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