2021 Saudi International Powered By Softbank Investment Advisers
World No 1 and 2020 Masters Champion Dustin Johnson sits atop the leader board after a third round 66 placed him at 13 under par and two clear of France’s Victor Perez who sits in solo second.
Johnson, who won the inaugural Saudi International powered by Softbank Investment Advisers in 2019 and finished runner up to Graeme McDowell last year, is poised for his first win of 2021. The laid-back American commented, “I like the golf course. I think it sets up good for me. I’ve liked it since the first time I came here a couple years ago. I feel like I’m swinging it well and giving myself all the chances tomorrow. Just need to hole a few putts.”
The American continued, “I’m hitting good putts where I’m looking. I am just having a tough time reading them. I don’t think I’m the only one. I think everybody is having a tough time reading them. But the greens, they are rolling good. They are in good condition. They are just really tricky.”
France’s Perez, who won the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, is another player who feels the key to winning tomorrow will be down to putting; “I think obviously I will need to make some putts tomorrow. I don’t know what the weather is going to be like. Somebody is going to have put a low one to win, and if it’s going to be windy, it’s going to be a grind coming down the stretch for sure.”
The prospect of playing in the final group alongside the world No.1 was also appealing to Perez; “I’ll be very excited for the challenge. I think this is all you strive for. I think the Tour is doing great at having some of those great players being here and playing and giving us the chance, mostly staying in Europe the last two years, playing against those guys, it will be a great competition.”
Tyrrell Hatton and Tony Finau, both playing here for the first time are in a group of four players on ten under.
Hatton, who won his sixth European Tour event last month, was sounding perhaps the most confident on the greens in his own understated way, commenting; “I’m pretty happy with that score today. I felt pretty comfortable on the greens and felt like I was hitting the lines better today, and I feel like I haven’t really done that the previous days. I’ll take confidence from that going into tomorrow.“
World No.15, Finau added; “I think probably somewhere around 65 is what we’re looking at. I think 15 to 16 under is probably a good number to shoot for tomorrow. We will need to be aggressive. That’s all there is to it.”
Spain’s Sergio Garcia had the low round of the day with a 64 that included seven birdies to leave the Ryder Cup star at 9 under – alongside stars that include Victor Hovland, Martin Kaymer and Ryan Fox.
