More of the same for Moore at Cog Hill tournament
Ryan Moore changed nothing, which included his stylish choice of clothing, though someone might want to inform the likeable 28-year-old that the golf tournament at Cog Hill changed its name three years ago.
Dustin Johnson, meanwhile, hopes his Sunday luck changes.
Remember his 72nd hole at the PGA Championship, when he mistakenly grounded his club in a Whistling Straits waste bunker, a 2-stroke penalty that cost him a spot in a sudden-death playoff with Bubba Watson and eventual champ Martin Kaymer?
"I hear (fans saying), 'It wasn't a bunker,' (all the) time, about every hole," Johnson said Saturday of fan reaction he's received at Cog Hill.
Day Three of the BMW Championship concluded under gray skies with Tacoma native Moore atop the leaderboard at 8-under-par 205, 1 shot better than Johnson, Charlie Wi and Matt Kuchar. Paul Casey and Ian Poulter are just 2 shots back and tied for fifth at 6 under.
In all, 16 players, including Luke Donald (minus-3), Steve Stricker (minus-3) and Ernie Els (minus-5), are within 5 shots of Moore, who rebounded from a 74 Friday by firing a 5-under 66.
Today's storylines include not only who will win the third leg in the FedEx Cup playoffs, but who will secure spots in the Tour Championship.
Moore and Johnson comprise the final pairing and will tee off at 12:45 p.m.
"I'm not here to try and qualify for the Tour Championship," Moore said. "I'm here to win the Western Open."
Whoops.
At least Moore's golf shots were accurate. And his look was again impeccable.
Wearing a black, collared shirt with a cream-colored, black polka-dot tie and maroon sweater, Moore birdied his opening hole and kept the momentum, carding a 31 on Dubsdread's front nine. He birdied No. 7, hitting a "bellied wedge" after opting to putt a similar shot on the same hole the day before and making double bogey.
"It was a lot like Round 1, which amazingly enough was not too unlike Round 2," said Moore, who shot a first-round 65. "I hit it really well (Friday). I played well. It was just one of those days where I just got absolutely nothing out of it."
Moore's tie was the same one he sported during his Friday struggles.
"It redeemed itself," he joked.
Speaking of redemption, winning today could help the long-hitting Johnson make up for his gaffe at this year's last major.
On Saturday, he shot a 3-under 68, stringing together 5 birdies in a row, starting on the par-4 seventh.
Johnson is unfazed by what happened at this year's PGA Championship and this year's U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where he enjoyed a 3-shot lead after three rounds only to shoot an 11-over 82 on Sunday.
"I just don't let stuff bother me too much," said the 26-year-old from South Carolina. "I try to always look forward. You can't change what's happened in the past."
Wi and Kuchar, the co-leaders after two rounds, played in the final grouping with Marc Leishman and matched each other with 70s. Leishman carded a 72 and is 4 shots behind Moore.
"It's going to be really interesting (today)," said Wi, a 38-year-old South Korean. "I know everybody is jockeying for position to get into the top 30 on the FedEx Cup points list. I know where I stand and I know what I need to do. It's almost nerve-racking knowing what you have to do and that if you don't perform, you might not achieve that goal."
Kuchar continues to battle a virus but sucked it up again Saturday.
"I'm feeling better, yes," said Kuchar, who called his play steady. "I'm nowhere near 100 percent, but the difference between (Friday) and (Saturday) was big."