Justin Thomas took a three-stroke lead into the 18th hole in the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges on Saturday. But by the time he was done with the hole, he shared the lead with Danny Lee of New Zealand heading into the final round.
The three-stroke swing occurred after Thomas hit his second shot from the middle of the fairway way right and into the water that surrounds the green on the par-5 18th at Nine Bridges on Jeju Island, South Korea. He would make a bogey 6, while Lee holed a 30-foot eagle putt from off the green.
Thomas, who is bidding to win the event for the second time in its three-year history, shot a two-under-par 70 and is at 15-under-par 201 through 54 holes. Lee shot a four-under-par 68 to tie Thomas.
What. A. Bomb! Danny Lee from way downtown for EAGLE at the last. #SpiderX
He’s tied for the lead at the #CJCup. #TeamTaylorMade pic.twitter.com/LSYdr47TRu
— TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) October 19, 2019
The pair are three strokes ahead of Australia’s Cameron Smith and four strokes clear of South Korea’s Byeong Hun An and Wyndham Clark.
Early on the back nine, An and Thomas were tied at 14 under when they arrived at the par-4 11th hole. But An hit his tee shot into the woods and as he attempted to play out, his ball caromed off a tree and went deeper into the woods. He took an unplayable lie and eventually tapped in for a triple-bogey 7 to fall three behind Thomas. Lee also was three behind by virtue of making a double bogey at the 10th hole.
Meanwhile, Viktor Hovland, 22, shot a 74 to bring an end to his record 19 consecutive rounds in the 60s.
