IRVING, Texas (AP) — James Hahn knows how close he came to making a couple of more putts down the stretch in the third round of the AT&T Byron Nelson. He still did enough to take the lead.
Even with his eagle chance at the 16th and birdie putt at 17 both stopping just inches short, Hahn shot a bogey-free 6-under 64 on Saturday to finish ahead of several players who had birdie streaks.
“That’s golf,” Hahn said.
As for replaying those so-close putts in his mind, or thinking about having the 54-hole lead, the two-time PGA Tour winner had other plans after finishing his round.
“Tell me what my tee time and I’ll just show up. You know, prepping for tomorrow I feel like is so hard. Sleeping on the lead, you can overthink it,” he said. “I just like to go home with my wife, our 2-year-old daughter, watch some cartoons. Just kind of keep everything low key, casual.”
With his 12-under 198 total Hahn was a stroke ahead of Billy Horschel, who birdied his last three holes for a 66 to take second place alone.
Jason Day had his own string of birdies, five in a row midway through his round and then a 60-footer at the 17th, during a 63 that was the best of the day and got him to 10 under. The fourth-ranked player in the world was tied for third with Kokrak, who shot a 72 after setting a Nelson 36-hole record with a five-stroke lead.
“I’m definitely not out of this golf tournament,” Kokrak said. “I’d rather be stalking people than any other way.”
Cameron Tringale and Sergio Garcia also finished with birdies on Nos. 16-18. Tringale was fifth at 9 under after a 67, with defending Nelson champion and Masters winner Garcia tied for sixth at 8 under after a 64 that also included three straight birdies at Nos. 11-13.
“I wasn’t that far off on the front,” Garcia said. “Then finally on the back nine … started rolling some putts in, and it all comes down to that. Get a little momentum and confidence.”
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson shot a 71 with five bogeys and four birdies and was seven strokes off the lead, tied for 19th.
Hahn shared the first-round lead after an opening 64, but slipped back with a 70 on Friday before another impressive round for him at TPC Four Seasons that included a 65-foot chip-in birdie at the par-4 No. 3 hole. This is Hahn’s fourth Nelson, and he has shot 64 or 65 in half of his 14 rounds there.
After missing four consecutive cuts for the first time since his rookie year in 2011, Horschel is in the final group at the Nelson. The last of his three PGA Tour wins was in 2014.
“The last four, six weeks hasn’t been ideal for me,” he said. “I’ve been working hard and keep believing.”
The last birdie for Day in his long streak came after driving the green at the 311-yard par-4 11th and two-putting from 37 feet.
Day’s only bogey came when he blasted out of greenside bunker at the 14th, then pushed his 4-foot par chance just left of the hole and 2 1/2 feet past. When his 60-footer at the par-3 17th caught the left edge of the cup and dropped in, Day lifted both arms into the air, pumping his right fist while still grasping the putter in the other hand.
“Seemed like it was on auto pilot today, which was nice for a change,” Day said. “It always helps when things are clicking that way.”
About the same time Day’s 16-foot birdie try at No. 18 curled just under the hole, causing him to wince, Hahn went to 11 under for the lead with his 13-foot birdie at the 15th hole and then added another birdie at the 527-yard par-5 16th after coming so close to an eagle.
Kokrak had his first bogey in 34 holes after missing the fairway at No. 3, then three-putting on the sloping green. He quickly made up that stroke with a 15-foot birdie at No. 4 and was back to 12 under with a five-stroke lead. But his advantage was down to one by time he finished his next hole, the par-3 5th, with a triple bogey.
Garcia beat Brook Koepka in a playoff last year to become the first two-time Nelson winner since Irving became the tournament’s home in 1983. Day, who won the Nelson in 2010, could match that Sunday in the last round at TPC Four Seasons before a move to the new Trinity Forest Golf Club in south Dallas next year.
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PGA Tour-Byron Nelson Scores
By The Associated Press
Saturday
At TPC Four Seasons Resort
Irving, Texas
Purse: $7.5 million
Yardage: 7,166; Par 70
Third Round
James Hahn 64-70-64—198
Billy Horschel 68-65-66—199
Jason Day 68-69-63—200
Jason Kokrak 66-62-72—200
Cameron Tringale 66-68-67—201
Sergio Garcia 73-65-64—202
Jason Dufner 69-68-65—202
Bud Cauley 67-67-68—202
Scott Brown 71-67-65—203
Scott Piercy 68-69-66—203
Grayson Murray 72-63-68—203
Chad Campbell 68-67-68—203
Byeong Hun An 68-66-69—203
Kyle Reifers 69-69-66—204
Scott Stallings 72-66-66—204
Matt Kuchar 66-71-67—204
Danny Lee 70-70-64—204
Sean O’Hair 67-69-68—204
Louis Oosthuizen 69-70-66—205
Tony Finau 75-65-65—205
Ryan Armour 67-69-69—205
Kevin Tway 71-70-64—205
Dustin Johnson 67-67-71—205
Joel Dahmen 68-70-68—206
Jamie Lovemark 72-66-68—206
Gary Woodland 70-68-68—206
Sung Kang 69-68-69—206
Brooks Koepka 67-69-70—206
J.J. Henry 68-69-69—206
Ryan Palmer 71-68-68—207
Marc Leishman 68-71-68—207
John Huh 67-72-68—207
Willy Wilcox 70-67-70—207
Charley Hoffman 72-69-66—207
Morgan Hoffmann 69-66-72—207
Michael Putnam 71-68-69—208
Patrick Reed 70-69-69—208
Jason Bohn 68-70-70—208
Michael Kim 68-71-69—208
Rod Pampling 69-67-72—208
Nick Taylor 69-73-66—208
Boo Weekley 73-65-71—209
Sebastian Munoz 69-69-71—209
Smylie Kaufman 71-67-71—209
Ken Duke 70-69-70—209
Beau Hossler 70-68-71—209
Keegan Bradley 74-67-68—209
Zac Blair 69-68-72—209
Ian Poulter 70-71-68—209
Jhonattan Vegas 66-68-75—209
Brian Gay 72-70-67—209
Bob Estes 71-68-71—210
Seamus Power 69-69-72—210
Greg Owen 69-70-71—210
Ernie Els 69-71-70—210
Nick Watney 73-67-70—210
Peter Malnati 67-68-75—210
Ollie Schniederjans 72-70-68—210
Ricky Barnes 64-75-72—211
Nicholas Lindheim 70-70-71—211
Billy Hurley III 69-71-71—211
Daniel Summerhays 70-71-70—211
Tom Hoge 72-70-69—211
Patrick Rodgers 72-70-69—211
Alex Moon 74-66-72—212
Dominic Bozzelli 70-70-72—212
Brett Stegmaier 69-72-71—212
Brendon Todd 70-71-71—212
Greg Chalmers 68-71-74—213
Ryan Brehm 73-68-72—213
Geoff Ogilvy 73-69-72—214
D.A. Points 69-72-74—215
Spencer Levin 71-71-73—215
J.J. Spaun 73-69-74—216
Charl Schwartzel 70-69-WD
Shawn Stefani 71-69-DQ