Saturday’s final round of the Farmers Insurance Open will put one of the game’s young stars squarely in the spotlight, as 25-year-old Will Zalatoris will play in the final group while seeking his first PGA Tour victory. The 2021 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year inserted himself into contention for Saturday’s final round by going 7 under on Friday to surge past names such as Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas.
Rahm and Thomas were tied for the lead at -13 with Adam Schenk entering Friday’s action. The trio played together in the final pairing, but ran into hiccups that opened the door Zalatoris and Jason Day to creep up the leaderboard to tie for first at -14. Rahm shot an even-par 72, but was +2 on his back nine after making the turn with the lead. He double-bogeyed the 10th hole and never generated momentum after that, finishing the day at -13 and one shot off the lead. Thomas fired a 1-over 73, while Schenk shot a 75.
In addition to Zalatoris, Day and Maverick McNealy both shot 65 to stand out during Friday’s action. McNealy’s 65 was highlighted by an ace and put him at -11 for the event — among a group of 12 players within three shots of the lead. Cameron Young had the day’s best round with a 64, but he remains on the outskirts of contention at just -8 for the event. Dustin Johnson is among a group of six players at -10 that could also produce a contender in Saturday’s final round. He recovered nicely from a double bogey on the 14th by birdieing two of his final four holes.
But the day truly belonged to Zalatoris, who finished tied for sixth at The American Express just two weeks ago. He holed out from 39 yards away for eagle on the second hole and never looked back as he completed a bogey-free day with four straight pars while the others around him scuffled. In the end, he was left in a tie for the lead as the final group walked off the 18th.
Rick Gehman and Greg DuCharme react to Friday’s third round action at the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open. Follow & listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.