Adam Schenk and Braden Thornberry Lead the Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Amidst strong winds, Adam Schenk achieved a bogey-free round with a 67 (-4), allowing him to share the lead with Braden Thornberry in the exciting Butterfield Bermuda Championship, in an intense battle to secure a PGA Tour card. Thornberry, a PGA Tour rookie who won the NCAA title eight years ago, signed a card of 69, matching Schenk at -12 under par (201) with a minimal margin of error heading into the final round. Both Schenk and Thornberry are among the top 10 players in the top 11 of the rankings who started the tournament outside the top 100 of the FedEx Cup, with time against them. The RSM Classic at Sea Island next week will mark the end of the season, the first to award cards to the top 100 instead of the top 125. Schenk, ranked 134th, has made adjustments to his game in recent months, which has translated into positive results at Port Royal.Thornberry, at 178th place, needs a win to secure a card, which would grant him a two-year exemption. The group that follows closely includes Adam Hadwin, who, after leading after 36 holes, signed a 71 and placed third, along with Max McGreevy (69), Chandler Phillips (70) and Takumi Kanaya (66). Rikuya Hoshino shot a 67 and is two strokes off the lead. Vince Whaley, with a 68, is the only player three strokes off the lead who doesn’t face as much pressure, as he is ranked 86th in the FedEx Cup, which practically assures him a place in the top 100. The pressure to keep the PGA Tour card intensifies due to the constant wind. Thornberry highlighted the importance of taking advantage of the favorable wind and resisting when it is not. An example was hole 16, a 124-yard par 3.A great opportunity for tomorrow. I know that if I don’t make it, I’ll have to go to qualifying school if I don’t get into the top 100, so that’s a big motivator.
Adam Schenk
Schenk proved in 2023 that it is possible to access major events without winning, managing to reach the Tour Championship and qualify for all the 2024 majors. The 33-year-old golfer, originally from Indiana, feels optimistic about the changes made in September.I tried a shot with a 6 iron, the wind changed. There are shots like that so you have to accept that they won’t end up near the hole, even if you make a good swing. Just try to fight, that’s really the key.
Braden Thornberry
I wish I could have done this earlier in the season, because I wouldn’t be in this position, but here we are. And if I can make some putts tomorrow – it’s difficult with the wind – maybe play another bogey-free round, that would be incredible.
Adam Schenk
