A true battle on the green! At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Daniel Berger's lead dwindled to a meager two shots on Saturday. A truly tough third day, interrupted by rain. While Berger felt the pressure, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had a difficult time, and Rory McIlroy had to withdraw due to back pain.
The weather really turned nasty! It poured buckets for fifteen minutes at Florida's Bay Hill. Play was suspended for an hour, with greens becoming waterlogged. The course staff had to rush to prevent the worst.
Before the forced break, Berger – a four-time PGA Tour winner who has been waiting five years for his next title – still held a comfortable six-shot lead. But after the interruption, things got really tricky on the 13th: His ball miraculously got stuck in the thick rough at the edge of the water hazard. Phew, a lucky break!
Nevertheless, he ended up with just a bogey after two putts. He was only able to complete 15 holes before darkness fell, and the chasers sensed an opportunity.
His playing partner Akshay Bhatia still sank a birdie in the twilight on the 16th. Berger, however, opted to leave his eagle putt on the same green until Sunday. Strategy or nerves? Time will tell.
“The sixteenth was practically a must,” Bhatia said, “It's just fun to be in contention.”
Two shots back lurked Sepp Straka, who delivered a round of 66 – the low round of the day, folks! The Austrian shared third place with Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young. The latter posted a really strong 67, including four consecutive birdies around the turn. Impressive!
Morikawa commented that it might even be an advantage to have just barely finished his third round. The leaders, after all, have to get up early on Sunday to complete their round. “Just being able to sleep in and start the day at ease gives a huge boost to routine and momentum,” was his assessment.
(When golf gets the better of you)
Before the start of the third round, then the shock: Rory McIlroy withdrew. The reason: lower back issues. The world No. 2 explained in a statement that he felt a “small tweak” in his back during his warm-up in the gym. “When I then hit balls on the range before the round, it got worse and developed into muscle spasms in my lower back,” said the superstar from Northern Ireland. “Unfortunately, I cannot continue playing and must withdraw.”
McIlroy's withdrawal comes at a most unfortunate time in the season. The five-time Major winner was supposed to defend his titles at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass and the Masters in Augusta next month. That's a blow!
Speaking of rollercoasters: Scottie Scheffler once again delivered one, after frustratingly firing his ball into the water on the 18th green the day before. Pure drama!
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