In the Procore Championship, Ben Griffin remains at the top with a one-stroke lead, facing pressure from two of the world’s most prominent players. The first is Jackson Koivun, a young man from Auburn and number one in the amateur world ranking, who has already secured his PGA Tour card by turning professional. The second, and perhaps the most formidable, is Scottie Scheffler, the world’s number one golfer, who despite a double bogey on Saturday, achieved an impressive round of 64 strokes, eight under par. Griffin, after a stumble on the last hole, finished with a card of 70 strokes, two under par, reducing his lead to one stroke over Koivun and two over Scheffler. Griffin is at 200 strokes, 16 under par. “He has shown a lot here on the tour, even though he is still in college,” Griffin said of Koivun, who last week led the U.S. team to victory in the Walker Cup.
The atmosphere was electric, with the largest turnout since the tournament moved to Napa in 2014. The crowd, eager to see Scheffler, chanted “Scottie” and “U-S-A!”“I know he has a lot of game. He’s right in second place in a tour event going into Sunday, so he can play as well as Scottie, as well as me. I just have to focus on myself and stay aggressive and try to make a lot of birdies tomorrow and not have to worry about anyone,” he added.
Ben Griffin
Scheffler, after a mistake on the 14th hole that cost him a double bogey, reacted with three birdies in his last four holes. Koivun, for his part, had a complicated start with two bogeys, but recovered with a birdie and an excellent shot from a bunker that facilitated a par. In the second half of the course, Koivun demonstrated his skill, achieving an eagle for the second consecutive day on the 12th hole.“If I go out and play good, consistent golf, I’m going to start climbing the rankings and that was the goal coming in today”, commented Scheffler, who started the round eight strokes behind Griffin.
Scottie Scheffler
Koivun has the opportunity to be the second amateur to win a PGA Tour tournament in recent years, following in the footsteps of Nick Dunlap. Griffin, although he didn’t achieve as many birdies as in the initial round, maintained his position with three birdies and no errors until the 18th hole, where a bogey cost him advantage.“I didn’t get off to a great start, not the start I was looking for, but I was able to turn it around mid-round, make some birdies, make some putts, change the script and stay in contention,” Koivun declared.
Jackson Koivun
“I’m not too worried about what he’s going to do. I just have to play better than him. And if I do that tomorrow, I should be able to lift the trophy. Obviously, there are other guys in the mix as well, but I think everyone knows what Scottie Scheffler is capable of and I just have to stay ahead,” Griffin commented.
Ben Griffin
