JACKSON, Miss. — Garrick Higgo shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship, with no plans to play it safe Sunday at the Country Club of Jackson.
“I’m going to play as if I’m behind tomorrow and be as aggressive as I can be and make as many birdies as I can,” Higgo said.
The South African player has fought through a labrum injury after winning an opposite-field event in the Dominican Republic the week after the Masters. He debated having surgery on his hip after the regular season, but realized he could handle it with a change in his fitness routine. He is lifting less and being smarter.
Steven Fisk and Danny Walker were tied for second. Fisk had his second straight 65, and Walker shot 67.
“Just more play like I’ve done the last three days,” Walker said. “It’s hard to say with what Garrick does. He could run away. Nothing I can do about that. If I just keep playing like I am and maybe have one or two less mistakes, I think that would take care of it.”
Unlike most players in the Fall Series event, Higgo’s FedEx Cup rank is of little consequence. Having won the Puntacana Championship, he has his PGA Tour card locked up and is in The Players Championship. The Fall Series events no longer get a Masters invitation.
Only the top 100 keep full PGA Tour cards after the Fall Series end in November. Five tournaments are left on the schedule.
Walker is 104th in the FedEx Cup, while Fisk is 135th.
“Just really in control of the driver and hit a bunch of fairways,” Fisk said” Just tried to kind of pick my spots and where I can be aggressive and where I just kind of need to play for par.”
Taylor Montgomery was 15 under, following a second-round 63 with a 69. He’s 147th in the standings.
Matt Kuchar (65) was 13 under with Frankie Capan III (68) and Vince Whaley (68). Whaley is 102nd in the standings, Kuchar 115th and Capan 157th.
Higgo birdied the par-5 14th and par-4 15th to get to 18 under, then parred the final two.
“I’d say it was quite a good fight,” Higgo said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I mean, it’s never easy. Golf never really goes your way. I just stayed patient and tried to put good swings on it and tried to roll the ball as good as I can.”
Higgo played in the final group with Scottie Scheffler at the Procore Championship last month, where he tied for seventh.
“I seem to be playing well,” Higgo said. “I think all of us always try and stay patient. Some weeks it’s easier than other weeks.”
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