LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Sepp Straka’s game was almost as clear as his head through three rounds at American Express.
Straka shot an 8-under 64 Saturday in his third straight bogey-free round, giving the newly bald Austrian a four-shot lead over Charley Hoffman, Jason Day and Justin Lower in the Coachella Valley desert.
Straka made six birdies on his first nine at La Quinta Country Club, perhaps the easiest of the three courses on which the American Express is played. He added two more birdies during the streak, putting him at 23-under 193 and making him the third player to go bogey-free through 54 holes since this tournament moved to a three-course rotation in 2016.
However, his fellow pros aren’t just talking about his sharp game: After placing in the top 20 on tour last year, Straka, 31, pulled out his razor and made the big off-season change that attracts many attention as he chases his third PGA Tour victory.
“I was losing my hair, so I thought I’d get in front of it, so yeah, I went ahead and shaved it off,” he said with a smile.
Straka also shot a 64 on the Stadium Course on Friday after starting the tournament with a 65 on the Nicklaus Course. He still needed a deft wedge shot and 10-foot putt to save par on his final hole Saturday after missing the fairway with his drive.
Straka is the first Austrian-born player to earn a PGA Tour card and win on tour, and he knows his work is far from done as he prepares for the final round back at PGA West on the Stadium Course. He’s not too stressed, though: He planned to spend Saturday night watching the Commanders-Lions NFL playoff game with friends.
“I think Stadium is the type of course where no track is safe,” he said. “My first victory I got on (the) Honda (Classic), it’s a very similar golf course, and there I was five shots behind at the start of the day. So no lead is sure. You’ve just got to keep hitting your spots, and you’ve got to hit the ball really well, so that’s really what I’m looking for tomorrow is just a good solid ball striking round.
Each player at the top of the leaderboard is aiming for a significant victory. Day is a former PGA Championship winner with just one victory on tour since 2018, while Hoffman, 48, is seeking another trophy at the tournament where he earned the first of his five career victories in 2007. Lower is seeking his first victory on the circuit.
“It’s amazing,” Straka said. “It’s a very fun ranking to watch. I played with Charley last week (at the Sony Open). He said he felt good, so anytime his body feels good, he’s pretty dangerous . Yes, it’s an excellent ranking.”
Hoffman started the day with a share of the lead, and he shot a bogey-free 69 on the Stadium Course despite early difficulties with the deceptive firmness of the greens. Finally healthy again after back problems, the San Diego native is aiming for his first victory since 2016.
“I didn’t really get it until the last nine matches and then I was able to make a few putts,” Hoffman said. “Obviously a clean slate on the Stadium Course is something to be proud of.”
The day was more eventful, with the former PGA Championship winner recording seven birdies and two bogeys as he played to a lively gallery watching his duet with two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas.
Day has gotten used to starting his season in the Palm Springs area lately, and he feels comfortable in the California desert.
“It’s hard not to love this place,” the Australian veteran said. “You try to find reasons not to come here, but I actually really look forward to getting out in the desert every winter. Right before the West Coast Swing starts, this is my place to come, just because the golf courses are fantastic, the weather is obviously perfect, and then it’s easy to get to the other golf tournaments from here. It’s nice and quiet here, I like it, I’m here for me. focus on golf, and I can do that here.”
Thomas shot a stormy 68. He was at 17-under 199, one shot behind Patrick Cantlay and Mark Hubbard.
Lower, who started the last two days one shot from the lead, shot a 68 on the Stadium Course to stay in the fight for his first victory. He got to 20 under with back-to-back birdies on Saturday, but also made bogey on his 14th and 17th holes.
Lower has five career top-five finishes, including a second-place finish in Los Cabos, Mexico, last November.
Defending champion Nick Dunlap made the cut at 9-under 207, but 17-year-old Blades Brown shot a 74 in the third round and missed the cut in his first event as a professional. Brown will attempt to qualify for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on Monday.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who finished second last year and still got the winner’s purse because Dunlap couldn’t claim it as an amateur, also missed the cut.
