Sungjae Im held onto his lead on the Valspar Championship after rallying on the again 9 to edge forward of David Lipsky.
After lacking two straight cuts in his return from a wrist damage, Im shot a two-under 69 to get to 9 below par – a stroke forward of Lipsky in agency and quick situations on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.
Im had three bogeys and two birdies in a front-nine 37, then birdied the par-five eleventh and par-four twelfth. He broke a tie for the lead with a seven-foot birdie putt on the par-three seventeenth.
The 27-year-old South Korean participant has two PGA Tour victories, the 2020 Honda Basic and 2021 Shriners Youngsters’s Open.
Lipsky shot 65, enjoying within the first group of the day without work the primary tee. Winless on the PGA Tour, he birdied the primary two holes and 4 of the primary six, added two extra on 10 and 11 and parred the ultimate seven.
Sungjae Im has a one shot lead going into the third spherical of the Valspar Championship
“It was excellent. I did everything well,” Lipsky stated. “Missed it in the right spots, holed the putts early on to get some momentum going. That finishing stretch is obviously tough, so able to save a couple pars down on 16 and 18 and really kept the round going.”
Chandler Blanchet and Doug Ghim had been seven below. Blanchet closed with a bogey for a 66. Ghim shot 67, making an eagle on the par-five eleventh, then giving again the strokes with bogeys on 15 and 16.
“Obviously, I wish I would have finished a little bit better,” Ghim stated. “Two bad holes doesn’t really necessarily kind of ruin a good day.”
Snedeker had a 72 to drop to 5 below. The 45-year-old US Presidents Cup captain acquired a sponsor exemption.
“The good thing is it’s playing really tough and tricky this afternoon,” Snedeker stated. “Try to take a positive from that. Hung in there when things weren’t going great.”
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, second final week in The Gamers Championship, was 5 below with Jordan Smith and Marco Penge.
Brooks Koepka was tied for tenth at 4 below after a 67 in his return to Innisbrook. He missed a three-foot birdie putt on his closing gap.
Defending champion Viktor Hovland missed the reduce with rounds of 70 and 75.
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