Potter Is Bogey-Free Again, Tied for 9th in Detroit

Sunday, June 30, 2019

Golfer Magazine

Ted Potter played another rare bogey-free round at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit yesterday, and heads into today's finale tied for ninth at 13 under par, having made just one bogey over 54 holes.

He has no chance of catching leader Nate Lashley, who has run away from the field at 23 under par, but runner-up J. T. Poston, at 17 under, and third-place Doc Redman, at 16 under, are not out of the realm of possibility considering the way Ted has turned around his game this week.

After posting a 13-under 267 at the Sony Open in Hawaii back in January, Ted has finished over par in 11 of his next 12 outings. He missed the cut in seven of the 12. In the six events prior to that, he was under par five times, including the Sony.

That will all end today as Ted plays in the sixth group from the end, teeing off at the Detroit Golf Club at 1:15 next to Hideki Matsuyama.

Ted started out slowly in round 3, making par on the first six holes and quickly dropping back on the leader board as the rest of the field was making birdies. On the par-5 seventh, he drove it 291 yards, and had 263 left to the green. He hit his second onto the putting surface, leaving himself 46 feet, 9 inches from the hole. His first putt stopped one foot past the hole, and he had his first birdie, walking to the eighth tee tied for 24th.

After that, Ted birdied the par-3 eighth with a putt of 6 feet, 7 inches, the par-4 13th with a bomb of 20 feet, 11 inches, and the par-5 14th with a putt of 10 feet, 10 inches. He barely missed another on No. 17 where his putt stopped three inches from the hole.

The big difference between Ted's play in Detroit and the previous events is that he's hitting his tee shots long and straight, therefore hitting more greens in regulation. Also, he's been getting it up and down with regularity when his approaches have left him with long putts or chips.

If Ted can keep it going today, there's a big chunk of cash waiting. Ninth place alone is worth $211,700; fifth is $292,000, and 15th $131,400. It's all in his hands.