Northern Trust Open: Bill Haas Looks For Repeat At Riveria

Since posting three bogeys during the first round of The Northern Trust Open at Riveria Country Club on Thursday, Defending champ Bill Haas has been perfect. In fact, better than perfect. The 30 year old Pro golfer from Charlotte, North Carolina fired a bogey free third round on Saturday that included an eagle two at the par four tenth hole. Haas won this event last year in a playoff with Phil Mickelson, and Keegan Bradley.

Haas didn’t get revved up until he made birdie at the 5th hole, but carded a -7 under par 64 on Saturday for a -12 under total, and a three shot lead. The pack tied for second place include 2012 US Open Champion, Webb Simpson, 2010 Masters Champ Charl Scwartzel, and John Merrick. With World Number three, Luke Donald, and Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson lurking only four back, Bill Haas will need his A-Game on Sunday.

Webb Simpson has had a slow start to the new season, but Charl Schwartzel has been on a tear since the the new season began. The South African actually got hot at the end of the 2012 season with a 5th place finish at the SA Open Championship, and a solid finish at the Race To Dubai finale in Dubai where he finished tied for 3rd. He won his first tournament of 2013 at The Alfred Dunhill Championship, and finished alone in second place last week at the Joburg Open. I wouldn’t count him out at Pacific Palisades, he has championship pedigree, and with his South African heritage, knows how to play on Kikuyu grass.

Luke Donald is only four strokes back, and looks to be in mid-season form. This is his first start on the PGA Tour this season, and he will be a factor on Sunday. Riveria Country Club is a golf course that fits his game perfectly. Accuracy off the tee, a good short game, and he can make magic with the flat stick. Donald showed us some of that magic at Medinah back in September when he helped Team Europe secure the Ryder Cup until 2014.

Sang-Moon Bae, who had a piece of the second round lead, had a disaster on Saturday. He made birdie at the first hole,(the easiest par five on the tour), and at the 10th hole, but the remainder of his day was a disaster. The young South Korean put five bogeys on his card, and took a double bogey 7 at the par five 17th hole to card a 5 over par 76. He fell 12 spots into a tie for 13th place.

Sergio Garcia had a great first round, shooting 65 on Thursday, but a 73 on Friday would derail his good start. He fired a 69 on Saturday, but remains tied for 9th place, six strokes off the pace.

Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley were a factor in 2012 at Riveria, but are both at -3 under, and realistically out of this race. Jim Furyk is making his 2013 debut this week, and is eight strokes back at -4 under par.

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