Lucas Glover’s Scrappy Performance Secures Lead at St Jude Championship
Lucas Glover displayed his tenacity and skill in a scrappy performance that secured him the lead after the third round of the St Jude Championship. The 43-year-old American fired a four-under par 66 to finish 54 holes on 14-under 196 at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, just one stroke ahead of Taylor Moore and two strokes ahead of Tommy Fleetwood.
Glover, the 2009 US Open champion, had a strong start, birdying four of the first six holes. He attributed his success to his short game, which rescued him multiple times. Despite missing a couple of putts he believed he should have made, Glover remained optimistic about his position.
However, he described his overall performance as scrappy, suggesting that it was a result of smoke and mirrors. The pressure was on for him to maintain his form and replicate his victory from the previous week. Jordan Spieth and Max Homa were close behind on 199, while a competitive pack on 201 included world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, Tom Kim, Im Sung-jae, Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland, and Emiliano Grillo.
The St Jude Championship is part of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Play-off opener, and only the top 70 players will advance to the next stage, the BMW Championship. From there, only the top 30 in season points will qualify for the highly anticipated Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Glover, who recently ended a two-year win drought at Greensboro, emphasized the importance of replicating his outstanding performance. He acknowledged the need to make more putts as he approaches the final stretch. It is worth noting that Glover became the first player over 40 to hold the 54-hole lead in the FedExCup Play-offs since Tiger Woods did so in the 2018 Tour Championship.
Glover’s remarkable display on the course included several impressive birdies, such as holing out from beyond 43 feet at the first hole. He continued his success with birdie putts of 16 feet at the second hole and 21 feet at the par-3 fourth hole. Despite a lone bogey at the fifth hole, Glover effortlessly sunk an eight-foot birdie putt at the sixth hole. He concluded the round with 11 pars and another birdie putt from five feet at the 13th hole.
Taylor Moore shared the lead with Glover on the 18th tee but unfortunately faltered when he found himself in a fairway bunker and needed three shots to reach the green. Moore ended up with a bogey, leaving Glover alone at the top. However, Moore remains determined and confident heading into the final day, drawing inspiration from his victory earlier this year at the Valspar Championship.
With the excitement building for the closing drama, Moore’s driving accuracy and consistent performance have given him a chance to challenge Glover for the top spot. The pressure will undoubtedly be intense as both players strive to claim victory in a high-stakes showdown.
As the tournament nears its climax, fans eagerly await the thrilling finale of the St Jude Championship. The unforgiving TPC Southwind course is sure to test the players’ skills, making every shot crucial for those vying for the championship title.
In the end, it is Lucas Glover’s perseverance and ability to make the most out of challenging situations that have propelled him to the top of the leaderboard. With his recent victory at Greensboro, he is determined to continue his winning streak and solidify his position as a top contender in the golfing world. Only time will tell if he can maintain his scrappy performance and emerge victorious once again.
