Derby Day might be happening just to the northwest of Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday, but several thoroughbreds showed up early at Round 3 of the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson all started the day at 2 over and went off before 10 a.m. in the morning wave at Quail Hollow. Then they combined to shoot 15 under before the leaders of the tournament teed off.
Mickelson went first and fired a bogey-free 64 that included a 31 on the back nine. After sneaking just inside the cut line on Friday, Round 3 was a revelation for Lefty. He got to 5 under overall and was inside the top five of the leaderboard at the time he finished, two back of the leaders.
"I had a good day, but the course was a lot different with the overcast," said Mickelson on Golf Channel of the softer, more receptive track. "It wasn't as dry and as firm on the greens. You still have to make a lot of putts. I made some good 15- and 30-foot putts for birdies that made the round."
Mickelson gained four strokes on the rest of the field with his flat stick and will now have a decent shot at claiming his second championship of the season at a course where he's finished in the top five an incredible seven times but never won.
McIlroy got it going as well and birdied four straight holes going to the 18th, which he bogeyed for a 5-under 66 right after Mickelson finished. It's the exact number he shot in the third round in 2010 when he was T48 at the halfway point (same as this year) and went 66-62 for the win on this course.
The Ulsterman putted quite well on Saturday, but he said after the round he still isn't super excited about where his performance is currently at. It doesn't sound like we're going to get a repeat of 2010.
"I just played a bit better, put the ball in play," he told Golf Channel. "Putted bit better as well. I still don't feel all that comfortable with my game. I'm trying really hard to get it in the fairway. I'm trying really hard to get my irons on line. I'm trying to piece it together, and I'm holding in there. It was a good round and gives me half a chance going into tomorrow."
Woods finished up after those two and, despite also making bogey at the last, shot his best round of the week with a 3-under 68 that included six birdies and three straight on the back nine. The run bumped him inside the top 40 and gave him a halfway decent look at a backdoor top 10 on Sunday.
His biggest improvement also came with the putter, although it wasn't markedly better than the field average. This has to be a frustrating week for Woods, who is inside the top 10 in strokes gained tee to green so far, but cannot find the cup when he has looks. Overall, he's had 95 putts and is 79th in a group of 87 players who made the cut in strokes gained putting.
"I changed my stroke a little bit today," Woods said on Golf Channel. "I was so close to shooting about 7 under on that back nine. It was one of those rounds I could have easily shot 7 or 8 under par without doing much and end up at 3 under, which is a good number but also disappointing. My ball-striking is fine, I just haven't made anything. If I just putt normal, I would have been up there next to the lead."
He's right about that. Maybe he'll find it a bit on Sunday or, maybe more importantly, for next week at The Players Championship.
As well as those three played on Saturday, they didn't even come close to the round of the day. That belonged to Peter Uihlein, who shot a 9-under 62 with a 30 (!) on the front nine. At one point he made five straight birdies and followed those with an eagle at the 10th. He ended his round tied for the lead with Woods, McIlroy, Mickelson and a whole host of golfers in the afternoon trying to chase him down over the next two rounds.