Horschel Red-Hot Saturday in BMW Championship


Billy Horschel vaulted to the top of the leaderboard at the BMW Championship Saturday after firing a 7-under 63, the second-best round of the tournament. The third of four events in the PGA Tour's season-ending FedEx Cup Playoffs is taking place at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver.

After posting two birdies on the front nine, the 27-year-old Floridian tacked on five more birdies on the back nine at the William Flynn-designed course. Horschel, a one-time Tour winner, stands at 13-under 197 heading into Sunday's final round.

After disappointingly finishing as the runner-up in last week's Deutsche Bank Championship following a bogey on the par-5 closing hole at TPC Boston, Horschel entered this week ranked 20th in the FedEx Cup standings.

"It was a great day, I played really solid," Horschel said during a TV interview. "The goal today was to make no bogeys… I was over it [last week's finish] really quickly. It was just a bad swing at the wrong time unfortunately… It happens, it's the way this game is. Things happen like that even when you're playing well."

The normally intense player later told reporters that a new mental outlook is helping him in Denver. "I just came to the realization that I was being a little too hard on myself . . . When things weren't going right, I was getting a little upset too easily," Horschel said.

"I'm not nearly as frustrated when I hit a bad shot. I know that it happens and sort of get out of my own way like I did last year when I played well."

Three strokes behind is Ryan Palmer, who carded a 67, while sharing third at 8-under 202 are a couple of major winners this year, Martin Kaymer (U.S. Open) and Bubba Watson (Masters), who carded a 64 and 66, respectively.

After opening with a 68 and a 64, 36-hole leader Sergio Garcia slipped into sixth at 204 following a 2-over 72. Another stroke back are two Americans - Jim Furyk (67) and Jordan Spieth (68), and Canadian Graham DeLaet (69).

Tied for 10th at 206 are Americans J.B. Holmes (67), Morgan Hoffman (62), Chesson Hadley (68), Australia's Adam Scott (69) and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (72).

McIlroy, who shared the first-round lead and is the No. 1-ranked player in golf thanks to winning this year's British Open and PGA Championship, had three birdies and two bogeys on the front nine to make the turn in 1-under 34.

On the par-36 home half, however, the 25-year-old tripled the par-3 12th and had a birdie and a bogey for a 39. His six on the par-3 came when he missed a par putt from five feet then took three more short strokes for a four-putt.

Hoffman rose into contention thanks to nine birdies and a bogey for his 8-under effort. Beginning on the 10th tee, Morgan reeled off six birdies on his front nine. He added birdies on his 10th and 12th holes, but his bogey came on the par-3 sixth (his 15th hole). The 25-year-old from New Jersey rebounded quickly with another birdie before parring the final two holes.

Hoffman's chances for a magical 59 were derailed at the sixth, but he was still happy with a 62, which set a new course record. "After I was 8-under through 12 or 13, that 59 number was a big goal for me, and it was possible with three more birdies coming in," Hoffmann said. "Hopefully I can pull it off tomorrow."

The previous competitive course record was a 64 shared by Garcia and Palmer, who carded his 6-under in the second round, in this tournament. "It's an honor to have a course record, especially with all the history here," Hoffmann added.

He tipped his cap to playing partners Jerry Kelly and Freddie Jacobson, who kept the atmosphere buoyant; combined, the trio went 16-under par Saturday. "My playing partners helped me today. We had a good time out there," noted Hoffmann, who's still looking for his first Tour title. "We were feeding off each other a bunch.

"We were actually joking around the whole day, kind of messing with each other. It really helped our golf game. Carefree attitude for the whole group."

Before the third round began, Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson both withdrew from the BMW Championship. They joined Australia's Jason Day - who pulled out Friday because of a back injury after completing nine holes - on the sidelines, removing three of the tournament's marquee players.

Bradley withdrew because he was uneasy about a potential rules violation in the first round. The incident happened on the 18th hole when he took relief for an embedded ball in its own pitch mark. Even though a review was made and the relief he took was sanctioned by the Tour's vice president of Rules and Competitions, Slugger White, Bradley didn't feel right.

"I just feel withdrawing is the right thing to do to protect the field in the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship next week," he said in a statement released Saturday morning. "It's eating me alive. I didn't call my fellow competitors for help in the first place and that bothers me. I know the official approved the drop, but I just can't be absolutely sure it was the right spot."

The withdrawal jeopardizes Bradley's chances of qualifying for the Tour Championship; he's 29th as of Saturday night but will certainly drop further after the final round in Denver. Only the top-30 players at the end of Sunday will move on to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta and the Tour's concluding event of the year.

Mickelson, who opened with a 70 and a 76, said he was withdrawing due to his poor position in the tournament. The 44-year-old, who wasn't going to qualify for the Tour Championship, said he's turning his attention to the Ryder Cup in three weeks.

"My primary goal is to rest and prepare for the Ryder Cup," Mickelson said in a statement. "Without a chance to contend at the Tour Championship, the most important thing for me now is to prepare for the Ryder Cup."

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