Daniel Berger is in a familiar spot after firing an eight-under 62 for a three-shot lead after the third round of the Travelers Championship on Saturday.
The last time last year’s PGA Tour rookie of the year held a 54-hole lead by three shots was in June, when he went on to win the FedEx St. Jude Classic for his first victory on the US Tour.
On Saturday, Berger rolled in nine birdies to take sole possession of the lead at 15-under 195 at the TPC at River Highlands golf course in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Photo: John Woike/Hartford Courant via AP
“It’ll be a lot easier stepping up on the tee box having a PGA Tour win under my belt than if I didn’t,” Berger said.
Berger made three consecutive birdies beginning at No. 11 and seven in a nine-hole stretch.
His only blemish was a bogey on the fourth hole. He even had a chance at a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 18, but missed.
“It was just a great day,” Berger said. “I feel like the group really got off to a hot start on the back nine, and we just kind of carried it into the last hole.”
In Berger’s group were South Africa’s Tyrone Van Aswegen (65) and Russell Henley (65), who along with Scotland’s Russell Knox (64) are tied for second.
Patrick Rodgers (66) was five strokes adrift in fifth place.
Brooks Koepka (64) and England’s Paul Casey (66) were six shots back and tied for sixth.
Daniel Summerhays (65), Ryan Moore (66) and Robert Garrigus (68) were all seven back.
Former Travelers winner Marc Leishman (71) dro pped nine shots back after sharing the second-round lead with Berger, Van Aswegen and Henley.
Leishman, of Australia, was headlining a seven-way tie for 15th with Ireland’s Padraig Harrington (65) and Spain’s Jon Rahm (69).
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