On the Board: The storylines heading into Sunday at the Humana
Welcome into On the Board, a new feature we’ve concocted here at Devil Ball Golf to go over some of the top players on the leaderboard at the Humana Challenge — and subsequent big golf events — to set the table heading into the final round.
We have a four-way tie for the lead at the final Humana (a new sponsor will come for 2016), so we should naturally look at what’s on the line for the quartet at 17 under par, the defending champion and Matt Kuchar, the guy who should lead.
Erik Compton (-17, T-1): A two-time heart transplant recipient, Compton is in search of his first PGA Tour win. He finished a distant T-2 to Martin Kaymer in the 2014 U.S. Open for his first top-three finish of his PGA Tour career. This week, Compton leads the field with just one bogey through 54 holes.
Bill Haas (-17, T-1): It should be no surprise Haas is here. He broke through for his first PGA Tour win here in 2010 and suffered a playoff loss in his 2011 defense. Haas is nursing a nagging wrist problem, but that doesn’t seem to have held him back through the first three days.
Justin Thomas (-17, T-1): Thomas is making a really early push for Rookie of the Year honors. In position to win last week on Hawaii before Jimmy Walker ran away from the field over the weekend, Thomas shared the lead after 36 holes. He’s taken that share 18 holes further this week. Barring a meltdown, Thomas should notch his third top-10 finish of the young 2014-15 season on Sunday.
Michael Putnam (-17, T-1): Putnam, who won the Web.com Tour money list in 2013, is seeking his first win. He’s never finished better than fourth on the PGA Tour, including at last year’s RBC Canadian Open.
Matt Kuchar (-16, T-5): Kuchar should lead this golf tournament, but slipped with three bogeys in the final four holes to lose his edge. Kuchar struggled last Sunday at Waialae Country Club with a chance to win the Sony Open in Hawaii, shooting 1-over 71 while Jimmy Walker blitzed the field. Kuchar will get lapped again if that happens for a second straight week.
Patrick Reed (-14, T-9): The defending champion isn’t out of it by any means, particularly with rounds in the low 60s a real possibility. Reed knows he’ll have to get off to a hot start to have any chance, so look for him to put his foot on the proverbial gas.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
