SILVIS, Ill. (AP) — Lucas Glover chipped in for eagle early and made a birdie late, his only two sub-par holes Saturday for a 2-under 69 that was just enough for him to share the lead with Lee Hodges in the John Deere Classic that now has plenty of possibilities.
Hodges had four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine of the TPC Deere Run for a 67 to join Glover at 16-under 197 going into the final round.
Nine players were within four shots of the lead, a group that ranges from 50-year-old Zach Johnson to NCAA champion Preston Stout of Oklahoma State.
Glover’s three-year exemption on the PGA Tour from winning twice in 2023 expires this year, and he began the season still recovering from labrum surgery.
“You pretty much know you’ve got to go low or you’re not going to win,” Glover said. “Everybody is going to have to be aggressive, so I’ve got to hit it a little better tomorrow to achieve the ultimate goal.”
Hodges hit his stride on the back nine, with six consecutive holes leaving birdie chances of 15 feet or closer. He converted four of them to join Glover. But there is little room for error.
Zac Blair (67), Ben Kohles (66) and Jackson Suber (66) were one shot behind. Another stroke back was Doug Ghim (67). Still lurking three shots behind was Johnson, who has such a strong history at the John Deere Classic — the Iowa native considers it his home tournament — that he skipped the U.S. Senior Open at Scioto this week.
Johnson poured in a 35-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 66. He will have a chance to join a small group of players to have won on the PGA Tour Champions and the PGA Tour in the same calendar year. Phil Mickelson was the most recent in 2021.
Stout, playing on a sponsor exemption, shot 66 and was in the group four shots behind that included Max Homa and Ryo Hisatsune.
Not to be overlooked was Rickie Fowler, who had to get up and down from par on his last hole Friday to make the cut on the number. Starting the third round 11 shots out of the lead, Fowler bogeyed his last hole and still shot 63 to get within five shots. Also five shots behind was Blades Brown, the 19-year-old who already has had two chances to win on the PGA Tour this year.
Hodges won his only tour title in Minnesota in 2023. He has had conditional status this year after finishing outside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup, but one more good round could change his status. Hodges, just like everyone else in the mix, had the same outlook.
He had a big lead in Minnesota and found himself trying to hang on. Sunday at TPC Deere Run figures to be entirely different.
“Tomorrow will be a little more fun,” Hodges said. “I get to go attack and just beat people. I’m just going to keep my pedal down and just shoot lower than anybody tomorrow.”
Kohles has already won on the Korn Ferry Tour this year and will be going for his first PGA Tour win. Seven of the top 11 players have yet to win on the PGA Tour, including Blair. The Utah native had a two-shot lead at one point until hitting into a hazard and taking double bogey on the 11th hole.
Glover made his first bogey of the tournament when he missed the green at No. 9. The third round was halted for about an hour because of a late storm. Glover returned to make a 6-foot birdie putt on the 17th and close with a par.