Johnson’s Fast Start Paces Field At Kaulig Companies Championship

Akron, Ohio — Zach Johnson could not immediately recall a front-nine he played as well as his Saturday’s third-round effort at the Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club.

Moments after a two-putt on the 18th hole, securing a four-shot lead over Miguel Angel Jimenez, he was going over his bogey-free round of 7-under par 63,

“Today was a pin high day, it was crazy, and a good thing,” Johnson recalled. “If you needed to be short, you needed to be long, certain hole placements for the most part I did that. The front nine was as solid of nine holes as I’ve played in, I couldn’t tell you how long.”

Though Johnson just turned 50 in February and thus has not had the opportunity to play Firestone since the PGA Tour Champions began to hold its major championship there, his understanding, experience and knowledge of the course never left, nor did his affinity or respect for the grounds waver.

It was tough for Johnson to pinpoint the shot he was proudest of on his day, but he remembered his tee shot on 11, a low-punch 7-iron trying to land it in the right bunker or behind the green in the rough. Instead, the shot landed ideally and got to 30-feet, leading to a two-putt he credited as something no one really sees.

Johnson’s par putt a hole earlier on 10, he called “pretty ridiculous” because he barely took a backstroke and a poor pitch got him into that position.

Ultimately, it appeared that he settled on the par-3 15th hole, just prior to the wind beginning to pick up.

“The 5-iron that I hit on 15 right before the wind started to pick up was probably the most solid shot I hit all day,” illustrated Johnson. “I knew I couldn’t get the 5-iron to the pin, but I knew I had to hit it good to give myself a nice, whatever, 25-, 30-footer. My next club up, 4, is just, it goes a little further than that, so I was in between clubs, and I had to hit the middle of the face and I did. That shot to me as far as execution stands out.”

Jimenez, the defending champion of this event, vaulted to second place after his 8-under round of 62 tied Retief Goosen’s 2019 second round for the lowest score since this major championship has been played at Firestone Country Club. Goosen won the-then Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship by two shots over Jay Haas and Tim Petrovic. With the effort, Jimenez shot his age for the first time in competition.

Jimenez started with a birdie on the first hole, and he led the field in putts per green along the way.

“I played very solidly all day, I feel good on the golf course,” he deduced. “I’ve been very accurate, especially with my irons, hitting it very close to the flag many times. That allows you to shoot low on this course. You need to hit solid from the tee and then now hit to the flags, the greens are very fast.”

Second-round leader Cameron Percy fired an even-par 70, placing him in third position, an additional two strokes behind.

Tee times were back to the regular time Saturday after Friday yielded two stoppages of play totaling three-hours-and-one minute. Saturday’s play featured a small pocket of rain, but the round was uninterrupted.

VAN PELT GOES LOW EARLY

Bo Van Pelt was in the first group which played the back nine, joined by Angel Cabrera and Steve Allan and fired a 64, which at the time of completion was the lowest round of the tournament since both Ernie Els and Y.E. Yang matched that effort in the third round of the 2024 edition of this event. Michael Wright fired a 63 earlier on that day.

Cabrera had six birdies going as well through 11 holes, before giving a few shots back, but the visual of his birdies falling also helped Van Pelt’s cause.

“We both got going and saw some putts go in,” Van Pelt reflected after the round. “Especially when you’re first out too and you get off to a good start; it was like playing golf at your home course. It definitely helps when you get in a flow from the get-go, I think it helped all of us.”

Van Pelt was able to convert on some of his birdie looks on his first nine and then on the second nine holes, overcame drives on 3 and 4 to record par, something he said was critical to have a good day on a course such as Firestone.

There was a longer wait on 9 tee, because groups were crossing over and Van Pelt would flinch recording his lone bogey.

Still, he was able to display this form earlier in the week and had the opportunity to showcase it Saturday.

“I have played pretty well all week, I had 4–5-hole stretch on Thursday that all of a sudden it was like I forgot how to play golf, which led to a bad score, but I was under par the first eight holes starting off Thursday, so I knew I wasn’t that far off just need to put a whole round together,” remarked Van Pelt. “I went and saw my coach Monday after playing badly at the U.S. Senior Open last week, so got into a groove and I love this golf course. How can you not be fired up to play here, it’s amazing.”

THEY SAID IT

“They’re always the unsung heroes. Nobody sees what they do, they’re getting up and three in the morning and leaving here at 10 o’clock at night. We’re so fortunate to get to play on courses like this and that’s on a good week. Then you through in all the rain, the start/stop, getting the bunkers back in shape. Hats off to them, they did an unbelievable job.” – Van Pelt on the ground’s crew getting the course back into optimal conditions.

“This is one of the best golf courses we play all year round. I feel good here. I played many times before when we were the World Golf Championships here and now, we play here the last few years. I feel good because I like the golf course. If you hit it good, you know you can score. If you don’t hit
it good, you’re not going to score here.” – Jimenez

Photo credit: Colston Cooper/Pittsburgh Golf Now