American Express Rankings 2023, scores: Co-leaders Jon Rahm, Davis Thompson fight in the final round
Jon Rahm continued to impress Saturday in Round 3 of the 2023 American Express. Fired out of the gate at the Stadium, the 2018 champion quickly made up a two-stroke gap ahead of the 18-hole and 36-hole leader Davis. Thompson. Playing the first 12 holes with 8 under, Rahm eventually scored under 24 for the tournament before slowing down on the green.
Hitting a bogey and five pars during his last six holes, Rahm would advance to the finals under 23 and share the lead with Thompson. While the PGA Tour rookie cannot compare with his par-5 prowess from his first two days including a total of five eagles, the 23-year-old has displayed his usual grit and grit. lost to a freshman player.
Never faltering in the face of adversity, Thompson stepped in with a respectable 5 under 67 to side with Rahm and take a four-stroke lead against their closest pursuers. While the possibility of a tie-up between the final pairings is high, there’s still hope that it won’t, with Tom Kim, Sam Burns and Taylor Montgomery five strokes behind Scottie Scheffler. and Sungjae Im only one stick behind.
Leaders
T1. Davis Thompson, Jon Rahm (-23)
I wouldn’t necessarily describe this as a David vs Goliath situation, but it was definitely in the vicinity. This week marks Thompson’s 20th start on the PGA Tour while his playing rival on Sunday boasts accolades like former world No. PGA Tour eight times. Rahm showed some frustration with the flat club late in his third inning and if it continues into the final round could give way to a player who enjoys the underdog role.
“Many people might say that the first time Jordan Spieth won, the first time I won, the first time a lot of people won,” Rahm said of his experience as an advantage. “So do you have an edge? I don’t know. I mean, I have experience there, if it goes down the wire. But he is [Thompson’s] no slippage, obviously. He did what he did. At the end of the day, you’re against you. You can only control what you’re doing.”
other candidates
3. JT Poston, Christiaan Bezuidenhout (-19)
T5. Tom Kim, Harry Higgs, Sam Burns, Taylor Montgomery (-18)
T9. Dylan Wu, Chris Kirk, Patton Kizzire, Sungjae Im, Robby Shelton, Scottie Scheffler (-17)
While one rookie took the top spot, another rookie in Montgomery was hiding. The Las Vegas resident made it through all eight of the first starts on his first walk around the PGA Tour and has definitely made his name on the Rookie of the Year conversation. Having collected seven top 15 finishes this time around, Montgomery is preparing to add to this total and bluntly summarize the motivation behind this consistent effort.
“About a year and a half ago, someone told me my game wasn’t very stable, and it pissed me off,” Montgomery said. “So I was consistent.”
Is it a dramatic Sunday in the store?
The first two weeks of the PGA Tour in 2023 are nothing short of amazing. With Rahm coming back from nine strokes at the Tournament of Champions and Si Woo Kim overcoming a three-stroke short at the Sony Open, one wonders if something similar could happen at The American Express.
Defending champion Hudson Swafford cleared three strokes on his way to victory a year ago and two years ago Patrick Cantlay almost accomplished the impossible. Making a 54-hole cut on the number, Cantlay shot a final inning 11 under 61 and was just one stroke behind the eventual winner, Si Woo Kim. This is certainly not lost on the pursuit team that includes several PGA Tour winners including Tom Kim, Burns, Im and Scheffler.
2023 American Express updated odds and picks
- Jon Rahm: 4/7
- Davis Thompson: 3-1
- JT Poston: 25-1
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout: 30-1
- Tom Kim: 33-1
- Taylor Montgomery: 35-1
- Sam Burns: 35-1
- Scottie Scheffler: 45-1
- Sungjae Im: 75-1
This has essentially become a head-to-head matchup between Rahm and Thompson unless something in the Bible opens up. While I wanted nothing more than to see Thompson take down the world-beater Rahm, it’s hard to imagine that happening.
There’s still some value in Rahm’s price tag at 4/7 based on pitcher cooperation since last summer’s BMW Championship (he’s averaging around +1.50 shots per lap in this run). Because of this, and coupled with his steady play from tee to green, his second win in 2023 — and fourth in the last six starts — seems like a no-brainer. avoidable.
