Taylor Pendrith has been dealing with a left shoulder problem for over a year, but his performance at CJ Up Byron Nelson hasn’t slowed down.
He overcame the pain at TPC Craig Ranch and shot an 8-under 63 on Saturday to skyrocket up the leaderboard and take the lead at 19 under. The Canadian finished one spot ahead of Jake Knapp after 54 holes.
“I’ve been playing some great golf the last few weeks and it’s nice to see it come together,” Pendrith said.
“I think I just have to be patient and play my game. I can’t move on. I think it’s going to be a low birdie tomorrow, so make as many birdies as you can.”
Pendrith fell very far down the order on Saturday thanks to a strong start.After a par-birdie-par start, he chipped in and Eagle on back-to-back holes 5th par 5 and 6th short par 4.
Suddenly, Pendrith was in the lead at 16 under.
“It was nice to see them go down. The first shot had a little bit of speed on the chip and hit the middle of the pin and went around and went into the hole,” Pendrith said on CBS Sports’ television show after the round. -Told Renner.
“The second shot was a beautiful shot that rolled like a putt. I’m glad I got off to a great start through six holes.”
Pendrith cooled down a bit after that, making just three birdies over the final 12 holes. Still, he did not hit a single bogey and is determined to win his first PGA Tour title.
“It’s going to be a long day. Lots of birdie opportunities,” Pendrith said.
“It helps to get off to a good start. Otherwise I don’t panic. I just take it one hole at a time and I know I’ll probably get a birdie at some point, hopefully. ”
If he wins, he will play in the Wells Fargo Championship and the PGA Championship at Valhalla.
But it will also give him a chance to play in the Presidents Cup, which will be held in his native Canada in September. Pendrith continued to play for the national team in 2022.
“I haven’t had the best year so far, but being in Canada, especially with Mike Weir as captain, is a big goal of mine,” Pendrith said.
“Two years ago was amazing. It would be great to be back on that stage and even more special to be in my home country. That’s definitely a goal of mine.”
Pendrith had an up-and-down season due to health issues. He failed to qualify in six of the 11 tournaments he entered, but he also had four top-11 finishes.
His best finish was a tie for ninth at Torrey Pines.
Perhaps his season will improve dramatically on Sunday. If he continues to win, Pendrith will continue that trend on the PGA Tour in 2024 and be in the winner’s circle for the first time.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
