Day in the hunt at Deutsche Bank

Queensland’s Jason Day is poised to make a charge at the Deutsche Bank Championship, as he sits just two strokes behind 54-hole leader American Russell Henley.

Day will start the final round at TPC Boston tied for third with World No.1 Rory McIlroy and American Chris Kirk. In outright second place is American Billy Horschel, who booked a spot in the final group alongside Henley on Monday when he birdied his closing three holes of the third round.

Henley had seven birdies in his round of 65, with the only blemish coming on the 6^th hole when he chunked his second shot approach into water. He was still able to limit the damage by getting up and down from just outside 100 metres for his bogey.

Jason Day thanks the crowd after making birdie on the 7th hole. PHOTO: Getty Images

Day began the third round tied for the lead with American Ryan Palmer, and quickly moved to three under for the day with birdies at the 2^nd, 5^th and 7^th holes. Day converted a birdie chance from six feet at the 13^th hole but then missed a short par putt on the 14^th, and followed with another bogey on the 15^th hole. A narrow miss for birdie on the par-5 18^th had him signing for a two under 69.

“Once again I got off to a great start, then I made that bogey later on in my round, pretty surprisingly, because it was such an easy up and down,” Day said.

“That caught me out of sync a little bit, hooked my tee shot on the next hole. And that ended up a bogey, as well. But from then on I kind of found my way about things, and started to hit a few more greens. It was tough, because I played so good, but yet I still didn't shoot the score that I expected to shoot out there.

“But I'm still in contention, two shots behind the lead right now. So who knows what the weather is going to bring tomorrow, but I'm definitely looking forward to getting back into it.”

Day said with all the injuries and setbacks he’s had this year, he just wants to post a win.

“Win,” he said. “That's the main objective is to win. To win the FedExCup, it makes it a lot easier to win tournaments and the FedExCup, when you jump up the FedExCup rankings.

“The objective tomorrow is to come out and try and win, but there's a lot of good players behind me and in front that also want to win.”

Aiming for his fourth PGA Tour victory this year, McIlroy almost holed out on the 15^th and 16^thholes, but had to settle for tapping in from inside a foot on both. McIlroy has made his presence felt with his third round 64.

Rory McIlroy's third round 64 could have been one better had this birdie putt dropped on the 18th.
PHOTO: Getty Images.

Victoria’s Geoff Ogilvy was equally as impressive shooting a 65, including a 29 on the back nine, to roar into a tie for 11^th heading into the final round.

After missing the cut at the Barclays a week ago, Ogilvy figured his season was over and went home to Scottsdale, Arizona. As it turned out, he qualified for the last spot in the Deutsche Bank Championship and is currently in a good position to advance another week in the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Ogilvy would need to place somewhere around eighth to advance to the next week’s FedEx Cup playoff event – the BMW Championship in Colorado.

– Lukas Raschilla

LEADERBOARD – After three rounds

1. Russell Henley (US) 70-66-65 (201)

2. Billy Horschel (US) 69-66-67 (202)

T3. Chris Kirs (US) 73-66-64 (203)

T3. Rory McIlroy (N.Ire) 70-69-64 (203)

T3. Jason Day (Qld) 66-68-69 (203)

ALSO:

T11. Geoff Ogilvy 70-71-65 (206)

T16. John Senden 69-71-67 (207)

T27. Adam Scott 73-68-68 (209)

T67. Marc Leishman 73-72-72 (217)

T67. Steven Bowditch 77-68-72 (217)

* For the full scoreboard, click here

MEANWHILE, on the Web.com Tour American Bud Cauley regained his PGA Tour card with a one-stroke victory at the Hotel Fitness Championship.

Cauley shot a bogey free 65 in the final round to finish one stroke ahead of countryman Colt Knost, in the process securing his return to the PGA Tour.

In the first of four Web.com Tour finals, Knost was in the lead heading into the final round but missed a 10-foot birdie attempt on the final hole to finish with a 68, one shot behind Cauley. Knost still secured a PGA Tour card with the second place finish, ranking at No.34 on the Web.com Tour money list.

The first 25 PGA Tour cards available via the Web.com Tour have been locked up which includes Victorian Cameron Percy and Kiwi Steven Alker. An additional 25 Tour cards are up for grabs in the remaining three Web.com finals events. These 25 cards will be based on money earned in the finals. The PGA Tour will have some fresh faces next season with rookies claiming 14 of the first 25 Tour cards available.

LEADERBOARD – Hotel Fitness Championship

1. Bud Cauley (US) 66-70-67-65–268

2. Colt Knost (US) 67-67-67-68–269

3. Greg Owen (Eng) 67-67-68-70–272

T4. David Lingmerth (Swe) 67-72-71-64–274

T4. Tom Gillis (US) 69-69-70-66–274

T4. Sam Saunders (US) 66-66-70-72–274

ALSO:

T12. Scott Gardiner (NSW) 69-70-68-70–277

T19. Rod Pampling (Qld) 71-70-71-67–279

T34. Steve Allan (Vic) 70-69-72-70–281

T46. James Nittles (NSW) 75-67-73-68–283