What’s up, Doc? Doc Redman leads by 1 at Bermuda Championship

On another wild, windswept day that bewildered players once again, Doc Redman did what he does best – relied on his ballstriking abilities.

“I don’t know if anyone really enjoys playing in the wind, but yeah, I think it speaks to my strengths,” he said on Thursday. “Hitting it solid is really important in the wind and I have a lot of confidence in my irons and my woods and my driver, so I think I welcome it and it’s always a good challenge.”

Redman flighted an iron perfectly at the par-4 11^th hole to five feet and rolled in the putt for one of his five birdies on Saturday at Port Royal Golf en route to shooting 4-under 67 in the third round of the Bermuda Championship. Redman improved to 10-under 203 and earned his first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, one stroke ahead of Ryan Armour, Wyndham Clark and Kramer Hickok.

Redman, 22, winner of the 2017 U.S. Amateur, is seeking his first Tour title in his 40 Tour start. He’s only recorded three top-10 finishes in his young career, but each time he’s knocked on the door for victory: a solo second at the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Championship; T-3 at the Wyndham Championship in August; and T-3 at the Safeway Championship in September. He’ll bring a simple approach into Sunday’s final round.

“I think just allowing myself to play great, not letting myself get ahead of myself,” he said. “Just kind of trust myself and see what happens.”

But Redman won’t be the only one bidding for his first Tour title. Clark and Hickok, Redman’s closest pursuers, also are seeking to claim their first trophy. Clark overcame a double bogey and hitting just two fairways in the third round to make birdie at No. 17 and post 70. Hickok had a share of the lead with Redman until he bogeyed the last and settled for shooting 69.

“Every aspect of my game I’m really happy with,” Hickok said. “It’s been a tough last couple years, but I’ve been telling people I’m playing the best golf of my life now, so I’m just excited to be able to have the scores be able to show that.”

Doc Redman plays his shot from the 10th tee during the third round of the Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course on October 31, 2020 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Hickok may have explained best how the wind, which shifted directions and gusted up to 25 miles per hour out of the northwest, wreaked havoc on Saturday.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever used a compass on the greens for the wind because literally you’ve got a putt that’s a half a cup out left and the wind’s off the right, it will blow it left,” he said.

Ollie Schniederjans, who lost his Tour card after finishing No. 180 in 2018-19, made just one start on the PGA Tour during the 2019-20 season at this tournament, where he missed the cut; this time, he’s positioned to have a chance to win it after firing 69 to trail by two.

There are also three crafty veterans who have tasted victory before and are looking to go back for seconds and thirds. Ryan Armour, 44, is looking for his second Tour victory after shooting 70, and has a pretty good idea what to expect on Sunday.

“Doc’s at 10, got a bunch of guys at 9, 8 and 7 and it will be a shootout tomorrow,” he said.

Australian Matt Jones, 40, also is seeking a second career victory joined the fray with a bogey-free 66 to get to 8 under.

“If it blows, I’ll be happy, I’m used to the wind, I grew up in the wind in Australia,” he said. “I’ll get out here and see what it is and then it’s all about managing misses I find out here, leaving it in the right spots so you can have a chance to save par.”

A year after finishing T-3 in Bermuda, four-time Tour winner Brian Gay, 48, signed for 67 that included an eagle at 17, and trails by two strokes.

“I’ve played the par 5s terrible, I’ve hardly made a birdie on any of them,” Gay said. “I joked with my caddie, I said, ‘I don’t birdie the par 5s, I just eagle them.’ ”

Gay is bidding for his first victory in seven years, as he, Armour, and Jones look to join Stewart Cink and Sergio Garcia as 40-and-older winners this season. Expect the wind to blow again and for someone to have to step up and distinguish themselves on Sunday.

“It’s just exciting to have a chance,” Redman said. “For people to say that, that’s kind of all you can hope for because even if you had a three-shot lead, you still have to play tomorrow. I think whoever plays the best tomorrow wins and I think I have a good chance of doing that.”

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