Lee Kyung-hoon's Smooth Sailing "Tied 6th, 2 Shots Behind"... Watson and Hickok Share Lead

Travelers Championship Day 3: 1-Under 'Breather', Day Tied 3rd, Defending Champ Johnson and DeChambeau Tied 9th, 3 Shots Back

Lee Kyung-hoon is reading the putting line on the 4th hole on the third day of the Travelers Championship. Cromwell, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Lee Kyung-hoon (30, CJ Logistics), the AT&T Byron Nelson champion, is on a smooth course.

On the 27th (Korean time), at the River Highlands TPC in Cromwell, Connecticut, USA (par 70, 6,841 yards), during the third day of the PGA Tour Travelers Championship (total prize money $7.4 million), he reduced one stroke to stand tied for 6th place (8-under 202). Bubba Watson and Kramer Hickok (both USA) took the joint lead (10-under 200), while Jason Day (Australia), who was leading the previous day, faltered with an even-par round and dropped to a tie for 3rd place (9-under 201), one stroke behind.

Starting from a tie for 4th place, two strokes behind, Lee Kyung-hoon recorded four birdies and three bogeys. After struggling with three consecutive bogeys on holes 3 to 5, he changed the momentum with his first birdie, a 6-meter putt on the 7th hole (par 4). In the back nine, he added three more birdies on holes 10, 13, and 18, rejoining the race for the title. He relied on a long drive averaging 300.6 yards, a fairway hit rate of 83.33%, and a greens in regulation rate of 78.57%. He is two strokes behind the joint leaders and is aiming for his second career win since his first victory at last month’s AT&T Byron Nelson.

Watson shot 2-under to top the leaderboard. He is a ‘Traveler’s powerhouse,’ having won the tournament three times in 2010, 2015, and 2018. Defending champion Dustin Johnson (USA) improved by five strokes to jump to a tie for 9th place (7-under 203), three strokes behind. ‘The Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau (USA) is also in this group. Patrick Cantlay is tied for 17th (6-under 204), and Brooks Koepka (both USA) is tied for 27th (5-under 205).