'Number 5' Thomas Leads "Already Marching to 3 Wins"... Hovland in 2nd Place

Workday Charity Open Day 3: 6-Under Par '2-Shot Lead', Morikawa Even Par Falters to 3rd, Korea's Im Sung-jae 41st

Justin Thomas (right) is preparing for a shot on the 18th hole on the third day of the Workday Charity Open. Dublin, Ohio, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] World No. 5 Justin Thomas (USA) is on a '3-win march.'

On the 12th (Korean time), at Muirfield Village (par 72, 7,392 yards) in Dublin, Ohio, USA, during the third day of the PGA Tour Workday Charity Open (total prize money $6.2 million), Thomas surged with a 6-under-par round to instantly take the top spot on the leaderboard at 16-under-par 200. Viktor Hovland (Norway) was 2 strokes behind in second place (14-under-par 202), while Collin Morikawa (USA) remained even par, dropping to third place (13-under-par 203).

Thomas had already secured two wins early this year, following his victory at The CJ Cup in October last year, which was part of the 2020 season, and the Sentry Tournament in January. He is currently ranked first in the money list ($4.58 million) and second in the FedEx Cup Playoffs (PO) rankings (1,543 points). With this win, he will also overtake Webb Simpson (USA) to claim first place in the PO rankings. His consistency is impressive, having entered the 'top 10' seven times, including two wins, in 11 tournaments.

On this day, he demonstrated 'perfect play' by collecting six birdies. He opened the scoring with three consecutive birdies on holes 5 to 7, followed by a birdie on the back nine's 11th hole (par 4), and then back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15. On the 16th hole (par 3), he showcased his short game skills by hitting a greenside bunker shot that landed close to the hole. Thomas expressed confidence, saying, "My chip shots and bunker shots were good, and the crucial putts dropped, so the game went well."

Viktor Hovland, the Puerto Rico Open champion, is a player to watch. In June last year, at his third major, the US Open, he set a record for the lowest amateur score in 59 years (4-under-par 280), causing a stir. After turning professional, he secured his 2020 season card through the Korn Ferry (second-tier) Tour as a top rookie. From Korea, Im Sung-jae (22) is tied for 41st place (3-under-par 213), Kim Si-woo (25) is tied for 48th (2-under-par 214), and Lee Kyung-hoon (29, CJ Logistics) is tied for 59th (even par 216).

Victor Hovland is reading the putting line on the 14th hole on the third day of the Workday Charity Open. Dublin, Ohio, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.