Australian golfer Min Woo Lee showed clear signs of frustration, launching his golf ball into the Pacific Ocean after concluding the third round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am with a double bogey.
Lee now faces a five-shot deficit going into the final round of this US$20 million signature event, trailing leader Akshay Bhatia (-19). He would have been considerably closer had it not been for his late-round stumble.
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Lee seemed poised to challenge for the top spot after an eagle on the par-5 14th, but his momentum dissolved towards the end of the round, leaving him at 14-under par overall and tied for seventh on the leaderboard.
The 27-year-old Australian incurred a penalty stroke on the par-3 17th after his tee shot landed in a greenside bunker. However, it was on the final hole where his round truly disintegrated.
A misguided drive on the picturesque par-5, which skirts the famous coastline, ended up in a bush to the right of the fairway.
Lee was compelled to take a penalty drop due to an unplayable lie, and his subsequent third shot had to be played from a cart path.
That particular shot subsequently found a greenside bunker, and after extricating his ball from the sand, Lee faced a nearly 10-meter putt to salvage par.
He expressed annoyance at the strong winds, which appeared to cause his ball to subtly shift on the green, eliciting sarcastic applause from the spectators for the time he took to address his putt.
When he overshot the hole significantly, the West Australian golfer appeared to utter an expletive in frustration.
Following his bogey putt, Lee then cast his ball into the nearby ocean.
Lee’s actions weren’t the only ones generating conversation on the greens during this tournament.
Tournament leader Bhatia, who is competing for the $5 million first-place prize, encountered similar wind-related challenges on the 18th green, leading his group to spend approximately 35 minutes completing the final hole due to delays.
However, Bhatia has been facing online backlash from fans for a different reason altogether.
The left-handed player utilizes a broomstick putter, much like Australia’s Adam Scott, and has been accused of employing the outlawed practice of anchoring.
Following his second round, the American felt compelled to defend his technique on social media.
“Not anchoring. Literally 2 inches short of my chest haha,” Bhatia clarified in a comment on an Instagram post showcasing his putting stroke.
LEADERBOARD: All the scores from Pebble Beach
Bhatia will commence the final round with a two-stroke advantage over Collin Morikawa, Sepp Straka, and Jake Knapp, after recording a four-under par 68.
An anticipated severe weather forecast has led to an earlier start for the final round, with groups scheduled to tee off in threes between 2:22 am and 4:45 am AEDT on Monday morning.
The PGA Tour cited a predicted afternoon storm and strong winds as the reason for the schedule change, despite the fact that conditions were not significantly easier during the third round, despite some impressive scores.
The soft winter ground conditions certainly facilitated lower scores, but the prevalence of beanies and heavy sweaters indicated that the wind blowing off the Pacific Ocean was biting.
Tommy Fleetwood (-14) expressed surprise at the number of low scores, considering the challenging weather.
“Yes, I mean, the scoring today has been exceptional, and I don’t believe it was a particularly easy day,” commented the reigning FedEx Cup champion.
“I think there were definitely enough demanding shots that you wouldn’t expect 62s, but golfers are truly, truly exceptional.
“Certainly, different wind directions, varying conditions, and differing wind strengths, I think especially when you get to those holes situated along the coastline, it just becomes exceedingly difficult.”
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Min Woo-Lee’s strong performance at Pebble Beach | 14:25
Morikawa ascended 25 positions on the leaderboard, moving into a tie for second with the day’s best performance – an impressive ten-under par 62.
The two-time major champion achieved 11 birdies during the day, showcasing an extraordinary display of ball-striking that elevated him to 17-under for the tournament.
Morikawa is striving for his first win since 2023, having started the year with a missed cut in Hawaii.
He shared that overcoming his slump required significant effort on his mental approach.
“I’ve had many discussions with (mental coach) Rick (Sessinghaus). More frustration, truly, from just going out, and even on Thursday, I recall having perhaps three or four birdies on a course where I felt I hit it exceptionally well,” Morikawa explained.
“It’s simply going out, and he reminded me yesterday, when I first turned professional, that I honestly didn’t care about making cuts or finishing in the top-20; I came out to win.
“When he conveyed that to me yesterday, there was a pivotal mindset shift going into today. I aimed to come out and secure a win for the weekend, win the tournament. Now we’ve afforded ourselves an opportunity.
“It’s a minor adjustment in perspective, and without him telling me that, who can say what I would have shot today. But I am here to win.
“When you finish 30th, 15th, 3rd, ultimately, I desire to win. I must establish that mindset at the start of the day, at the beginning of the week, and now I believe we’ve at least given ourselves a chance tomorrow.”
Australia’s Jason Day is currently tied for 31st place, sitting at 10-under for the tournament following his second consecutive round of 68.