Former BYU teammates Patrick Fishburn and Zach Blair shot a 12-under 60 in better-ball play Saturday to take the third-round lead in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the PGA Tour’s only team event.
At 23-under 193, Fishburn and Blair had a one-stroke lead over Luke List and Henrik Norlander, with the Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry — tied for the lead after each of the first two rounds — two strokes back.
McIlroy and Lowry shook off a slow start to birdie seven of their last 12 holes. They shot 64 to join Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard, who also had a 64, at 21 under. Canadians Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin — both of Abbotsford, B.C. — topped the group at 20 under.
WATCH | Taylor, Hadwin tied for 5th after 3rd round:
Childhood friends and 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans runner-ups Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, both of Abbotsford, B.C., carded an 8-under 64 to sit in a tie for 5th place, three shots back of the leaders, heading into the final round.
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and teammate Tyler Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., are tied for 12th at 18 under.
Fishburn and Blair, both winless on the PGA Tour, have been playing golf together since their junior high school days in Ogden, Utah.
“It’s kind of why you’re out here playing is to have opportunities like this,” Blair said. “I’ve been out here a handful of years now, so I know that they don’t come that often, and so we’ll do our best to go take advantage of it.”
Fishburn had three birdies and an eagle on the first five holes at windswept TPC Louisiana, where the wind gusted to 25 m.p.h. Windy conditions are also expected for Sunday for the alternate-shot finale.
List and Norlander had a 62. List eagled the second and 11th holes.
Fishburn and Blair were a stroke off the tournament record.
“Just kind of rode Fish all day,” Blair said. “He played good. I mean, it was pretty textbook out there for him.”
They made the turn in 7-under 29 and birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine before finishing with three pars.
“It’s pretty easy to hit shots when Zac is always in the fairway, always on the green,” Fishburn said. “We ham-and-egged it really good today.”