Woodland and Højgaard make it a two-horse race

Gary Woodland and Nicolai Højgaard are in scintillating form and poised to battle it out for the Houston Open golf championships title.

After entering the day with a three-stroke lead, Woodland posted a 5-under 65 and leads by one stroke over Højgaard. His 18-under total also sees him holding a massive six stroke lead over third placed Lee Min-woo and Michael Thorbjornsen.

Woodland’s sizzling run in Houston is all the more remarkable, especially after his brian surgery in 2023 to remove a benign brain tumour and his revelation a lottle over two weeks ago of a PTSD diagnosis.

The 2019 US Open champion, who finished runner-up to Min-woo Lee last year holds the 54-hole lead for the first time since his US Open victory seven years ago.

Woodland in also seeking to become the first player to finish runner-up and then win the same tournament the next season since Robert MacIntyre at the 2023, 2024 Genesis Scottish Open.

One day after tying the tournament 18-hole scoring record with a personal-best 8-under 62, Højgaard posted a 7-under 63 third round.

He has yet to win on the Tour and will relish his chances of breaking the drought after having finished runner-up in each of the last three seasons at the 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship, 2024 Farmers Insurance Open, 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans with teammate and brother Rasmus.

Min-woo is bidding to become the second player to successfully defend a Houston Open title after Vijay Singh in 2005, Scottie Scheffler is the last player to successfully defend on Tour, winning the Memorial Tournament last year.

Twenty-four-year-old Thorbjornsen played his last 50 holes without a bogey, the longest bogey-free streak of his career; as he also searches for his first victory.

Sam Steven and Jason Day are tied fifth on 11-under. Stevens has three runner-up finishes, including two last year and has plenty to do to buck the trend.

Thirteen-time Tour winner Day is one of three Australians currently ranked among the top 10, including past Houston Open champions Min-woo (2025) and Adam Scott (2007), who is tied 10th here.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju holds T7 at 10-under and birdied four of his last five holes for a 5-under 65.

First-round leader and 41-year-old Paul Waring is tied with Sudarshan at 10-under.

Albatross helps Cink lead Hoag Classic

Charles Schwab Cup leader Stewart Cink closed with an albatross on No. 18 en route to the low round of 62 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Hoag Classic.

He recorded his first albatross on the Tour Champions, holing his second shot on the par-5 18th hole with a 6-iron from 205 yards. After rounds of 66-62, he is now on 14-under.

Cink, 52, has now played the par-5s in 9-under this week with one albatross, two eagles, two birdies, one par as he seeks his sixth win on the Tour Champions. If he does win, it would be his second in four starts this season, having also won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in January.

Seeking his first win on PGA TOUR Champions, 51-year-old Freddie Jacobson is tied second after he carded 66 to enter the final round at 12-under.

The winner of last week’s Cologuard Classic, Steven Alker posted 66 and also sits at 12-under after the second round. He is looking to become the first player to win back-to-back tournaments on the Tour since Cink won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els is tied-fourth and hopes to become the first three-time winner of the Hoag Classic. He had also won here in 2020 and 2023.

2008 champion and 68-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer (T12) carded 67 for the second consecutive day.

First round leader Paul Goydos (T21) carded 74 and enters the final round at 6-under.

Pak and Blades share lead

John Pak and teenager Blades Brown are the joint leader at 16-under at the Club Car Championship at the Landings Golf & Athletic Club. The duo are just a stroke ahead of Davis Lamb in the Korn Ferry Tour event.

Pak, the overnight solo-leader carded a 1-under 71 with two birdies at 6 and 15 and one bogey at 13. He had converted his only other 54-hole lead into his first Korn Ferry Tour victory at the Compliance Solutions Championship two years ago.

Brown made a birdie on the par-5 18th to card a 5-under 67 to grab a share of the 54-hole lead for the first time in his career. At 18 years, 10 months, 7 days he is the youngest 54-hole leader in a Korn Ferry Tour event.

He is also bidding to become the youngest winner on the Tour, a title currently held by Aldrich Potgeiter, who won the 2024 The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.

Third-Round Leaderboard (Houston Open)

Second-Round Leaderboard (Hoag Classic)

Third -Round Leaderboard (Club Car Championship)