Takeaways on Players Championship third round, with Ludvig Åberg in command
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. ― Ludvig Åberg had the chance to put his foot on the collective throats of the contenders chasing him in the third round of The Players Championship on March 14 at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
After making an eagle at the par-5 11th hole and gutting out a couple of tough pars at Nos. 12 and 14, Åberg had a four-shot lead with the easiest hole on the course coming up, the par-5 16th, and a 17th hole that was playing as tame as it ever has.
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But the 26-year-old Nocatee resident and native of Sweden didn't make another birdie, then three-putted the 18th hole for a bogey to finish with a 71. At 13-under-par 203, he has a three-shot lead over Players Championship rookie and Jacksonville resident Michael Thorbjornsen (67).
It could have been much more.
"Obviously, the eagle on 11 was nice, coming off the birdie on 9," he said. "I would have loved to have a little bit of something on 16, 17 and 18. But overall pleased with the way I was playing today in tough conditions."
Here's what happened to Åberg on the final four holes and why he could have been sitting on as much as a six-shot lead:
- No. 15: He drove left into pine straw but had a good lie. With a clear angle to a back-left pin, he pushed his second shot short and right, leaving him with a hefty 57-foot birdie putt attempt. He two-putted for par.
- No. 16: Åberg murdered his tee shot 332 yards down the right side of the fairway and had 195 yards to the hole. He then pulled a 7-iron into deep rough, barely gouged the ball out into the green and had to sweat over a 5-foot putt for par.
- No. 17: Åberg dropped a wedge shot to within 8 feet but missed the birdie attempt.
- No. 18: He hit a 312-yard drive into the fairway and had 150 to the green. Åberg hammered a 33-foot birdie putt attempt 8 feet past the hole and missed the comebacker for only his third bogey of the week.
"The three-putt on 18 kind of stings, annoys me a little bit," he said. "But overall, I started the day with a two-shot lead and ended with a three, so that's a positive for sure."
First Coast transplants in the final twosome
When Aberg and Thorbjorsen tee off at 1:40 p.m. in the final round, it will be old hat.
As transplants to the First Coast and past college and junior golf rivals, they've played a bit of golf together.
Just not for $4.5 million.
"Lud and I have played a good amount," said Thorbjornsen, a Stanford graduate who grew up in Wellesley, Mass. "We've played [Dye's] Valley Course, played Stadium. We go back to junior golf ... we've played a lot of college golf together. Very solid, very solid player. I think his mental game is extremely good as well. I'm really looking forward to it ... pretty cool that I guess two hometown guys are in the final group."
Aberg was anticipating the final twosome on No. 18 when he saw a leaderboard with Thorbjornsen's name in second place.
"I was telling [caddie] Joe [Skovron] walking up the last hole, 'it looks like we're playing with Michael tomorrow,' which will be fun," Aberg said. "We play some golf when we're home, and at some point, when we were both in college, it felt like we played every single tournament together. He's a great guy, a good player, and he'll be coming out excited tomorrow to play. He'll be coming out hot and I'm going to have to respond and play some good golf."
How did the leaders post their scores?
Åberg (71―203): One eagle, one birdie, two bogeys. Hit 8 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens.
Thorbjornsen (67―206): Five birdies, one eagle, two bogeys. Hit 7 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens.
Cameron Young (72―207): Four birdies, two bogeys, one double-bogey. Hit 7 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens and made 116 feet of putts.
Who else is contending?
Six players are tied at 8-under 208: Matt Fitzpatrick (69), Viktor Hovland (69), Justin Thomas (72), Corey Conners (72) and Xander Schauffele (74).
Fitzpatrick and Young spoiled their days with double bogeys at No. 18 that offset birdies at the Island Green. Harman bogeyed the 18th to equalize a birdie at No. 17. Schauffele had one birdie, at No. 11.
Credit to Thomas and Conners for the best rallies from early adversity. Thomas triple-bogeyed No. 6 after a horrendous drive into deep rough. But he birdied Nos. 16 and 17 and nicked the edge of the cup for birdie at No. 18. Conners doubled No. 3, bogeyed Nos. 8 and 10, but had a clean card with two birdies over the final eight holes.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Players Championship third round takeaways: Ludvig Åberg increases lead