Bryson DeChambeau at last year's U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying
(Photo Courtesy of Golf Week)
ORLANDO, FL (March 20, 2016)--Bryson DeChambeau (-6) tallied three straight rounds of even-par 72 to sit in a tie for 57th after three rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. However, on Sunday playing with the No. 2 player in the world Rory McIlroy, the
soon to be pro put on a show shooting a 6-under par 66 to finish tied for 27th.
DeChambeau birdied the first to get his day rolling. He really gained some momentum on the fourth with a birdie, the first of three straight. DeChambeau, after making the 36-hole cut right on the number, carded one more birdie on the ninth for an opening nine 31.
On the backside the hot play continued with a birdie on No. 10 to reach 6-under for the day. After a bogey on the 14th DeChambeau picked up two birdies on 15 and 16. Heading to the 18th hole the U.S. Amateur Champion was 7-under par for the day but gave one back with a final hole bogey.
In all DeChambeau's scorecard included eight birdies, two bogeys and eight pars.
Despite the lights out round by DeChambeau he wasn't the low man in his group. Rory McIlroy bested him by one, shooting 7-under par 65.
Stanford junior Maverick McNealy (-3) also showed well in the final round with a 1-under par 70. McNealy was two over on his day following back-to-back bogey's on three and four.
However, he would rebound beginning with a birdie two on No. 7. On the back nine McNealy birdied 10, 13 and 15 before bogeying the closing hole. McNealy finished in a tie for 46th place.
Jason Day (-17) picked up his first win of the year by a stroke over Kevin Chappell (-16).
ROUND THREE RECAP
Maverick McNealy (-2) and Bryson DeChambeau (E) both played steady in the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
McNealy did drop a couple of strokes following a 2-over par 74 but remains in the top 50, in a tie for 46th. The Stanford junior was hurt by a double bogey on the sixth. He was able to get his round back to even for the day before bogeying the 17th and 18th.
McNealy will play with Greg Owen tomorrow at 10:18 am EST.
DeChambeau carded his third consecutive even-par 72 on Saturday. He is tied for 57th heading into the final round on Sunday.
DeChambeau started his third round on No. 10 and got off to a blazing start with a two birdies in the first three holes. He reached 3-under par on his day with an eagle on the par-5 16th. The future pro ended his first nine with a 33.
Unfortunately, DeChambeau was unable to keep things rolling over the final nine. He bogeyed three holes to go along with seven pars to end his day.
DeChambeau will tee off in tomorrow's final round with world No. 2 Rory McIlroy at 9:06 am EST.
36-HOLE RECAP
One week after Lee McCoy finished tied for fourth at the Valspar Championship two more amateurs will play the weekend. This time it will be Maverick McNealy (4-under par) and Bryson DeChambeau (even-par) teeing it up for the final 36-holes at the Bay Hill Invitational.
McNealy a junior at Stanford shot an opening round 69 to put himself in good position to make the 36-hole cut. He then went out on Friday and took care of business firing a 1-under par 71. He is currently tied for 25th.
“I’m hitting it great right now,” McNealy told reporters after his round. “I have to give credit to my swing coach, Alex Murray. We figured something out on Monday and Tuesday, and I’ve been striping it ever since. Probably the best I’ve hit it in at least a year, since last spring.”
The Stanford product carded two birdies and a bogey on Friday. He started on No. 10 and played steady until a 15th hole bogey. McNealy quickly bounced back with a birdie on the famous 18th hole. On his final nine McNealy birdied the sixth to post a two round total of 140.
“My goal is just to come out here and have fun, learn as much as I can, play some good golf and have a good attitude. All the things I can control,” said McNealy.
This is the third time McNealy has made a cut on the PGA Tour. Last summer he made the cut at The Greenbrier Classic and Barbasol Championship.
DeChambeau, who is expected to make his professional debut at next months RBC Heritage, had to work on Friday to make the cut. The former SMU player started outside the cut line on day two following an opening round even-par 72.
Another 72 allowed DeChambeau to make the cut on the number. DeChambeau had an up and down day with five birdies and five bogeys as he posted a 144 to tie for 63rd.
-Golf Channel contributed to this story