Zurich Classic Round 3: Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin Fire 61 to Grab a Three-Shot Lead

Saturday at TPC Louisiana was a better-ball shootout with a lightning delay in the middle, and when the smoke cleared, the two players without a PGA TOUR win between them were the ones standing on top.

Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin shot an 11-under 61 in Four-ball to reach 27-under 189 and take a three-shot lead into Sunday's final round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Jake Knapp and Frankie Capan III fired the round of the day, a 12-under 60, and share second at 24 under with Ryo Hisatsune and Takumi Kanaya. The 36-hole leaders, Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo, and the Højgaard twins are four back, and Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry lurk five behind.

Thirty Out of the Gate

Novak and Griffin did not wait for anyone. They went out in 6-under 30, per Golf Today, and that fast start is what turned a one-shot deficit into a lead before the field could respond. They came home in 31 for a round that matched six other teams' 61s on a day when standing still meant going backward.

"In this format, when you tee off you don't have the lead anymore," Novak said, per the PGA TOUR.

That line explains Saturday perfectly. Seven teams shot 61 and one shot 60. A team could post a top-10 round and still lose ground. Novak and Griffin simply refused to let the board get away from them.

Griffin described the partnership in a way that felt right for a team round. "I thought we ham and egged it really well," Griffin said, per Golf Today. When one ball was out of position, the other was there.

The 60 Nobody Saw Coming

The loudest number of the day belonged to Knapp and Capan, both making their tournament debuts. They played their first nine in 6 under and then made four birdies in a five-hole stretch after the turn. A 59 was in sight until the par-5 18th, where Knapp's long approach led to a bogey and Capan was in the rough off the tee.

"We birdied a lot of opposite holes, so that helped a lot," Capan said, per the PGA TOUR.

That is the dream scenario in better ball: when one player makes par, the other makes birdie. It vaulted them into a share of second and into Sunday's conversation.

Hisatsune and Kanaya kept pace with a 61 of their own, going out in 29, per Golf Today, to join Knapp and Capan at 24 under.

The Højgaards Hole Out, the Rookies Stall

Nicolai and Rasmus Højgaard shook off a slow start with a 3-under burst over four holes, and Nicolai provided the highlight when his 38-yard approach on the par-4 eighth dropped for eagle. The twins shot 64 and sit at 23 under.

"It's always nice to have someone next to you that has your back," Rasmus Højgaard said, per the PGA TOUR.

Salinda and Velo, who had led after each of the first two rounds, could not find another gear. Their 6-under 66 would be a good day almost anywhere else, but in this field it cost them the lead and dropped them into a tie for fourth.

Rory Saves the Best for After the Storm

Play was suspended at 2:15 p.m. local time for lightning in the area and resumed at 3:47 p.m., a stoppage of about 90 minutes. McIlroy made it worth the wait. Back on the course, he poured in a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th to cap a 61 that included a second eagle, on the par-5 seventh. Golf Today noted that McIlroy and Lowry's four eagles through three rounds were the most of any team this week.

"Just a bonus for it to go in," McIlroy said of the putt, per the AP.

The defending champions are tied for sixth at 22 under alongside Cam Davis and Adam Svensson, who posted a second straight Four-ball 61, and Luke List and Henrik Norlander. Svensson made five birdies on his own ball in the first seven holes.

"Adam was rolling it so good," Davis said, per the PGA TOUR.

Alternate Shot Decides It

Here is the catch for everyone chasing. Sunday is Foursomes, and the alternate-shot scoring record at this event is 9-under 63, set by Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin in the 2023 final round and matched by Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer in 2024, per the PGA TOUR. A three-shot lead in this format is a real cushion, because nobody is going to shoot 58 on one ball.

Eight teams sit within five shots of the lead, so the cushion is not a guarantee. Novak, who lost a playoff to Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage last week, knows how close is not the same as done. Griffin knows what is on the line too.

"That's what we both practice for and play on the PGA TOUR," Griffin said, per the PGA TOUR.

Fifty-four holes in, the leaders own the cleanest path to a first title. Sunday will tell us whether they can walk it one ball at a time.

Catch up on the first two rounds in our Round 1 recap and Round 2 recap. Full scoring is on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's Round 3 story (opens in a new tab) has more details.

Sources: PGA TOUR (Round 3 stories and leaderboard), AP, Golf Today, Sportskeeda. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.