DETROIT — Akshay Bhatia and Aaron Rai shot 4-under 68 on Saturday to reach 17 under through three rounds and take the lead for the second straight day at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Cam Davis (66) and Cameron Young (67) shot back at the windy Detroit Golf Club. Sam Stevens (66) and Erik van Rooyen (68) also suffered strokes.
Luke Clanton (65), Min Woo Lee (66) and Joel Dahmen (68) were three shots behind the leaders, entering Sunday’s final round.
The third round started a few hours later than planned and the threesomes went out on the front and back nine because more than an inch of rain soaked the course, leaving standing water on the fairways and large puddles in rough spots.
Soft conditions allowed players to lift, clean and place golf balls on the fairways. The players found no relief in the wind that gusted up to 25 mph.
Rai had a tiebreaking birdie on the par-3 11th and held a one-shot lead until he had his first bogey of the tournament on the par-3 15th, missing a 12-foot putt to move back into the tie.
Bhatia, the only player in the field without a bogey, followed with a 7-foot putt for par on the same hole.
While Bhatia and Rai slowed as the sun began to set and shadows covered the course, Young moved into a three-way tie at the par-5 17th with his third birdie in four holes.
Young shot a 59 last Saturday at the Travelers Championship, the first player to do so since Scottie Scheffler did it during the 2020 FedExCup Playoffs.
Davis, who won the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic at 18 under, made it into a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard with a slow 8-footer to close with his fourth birdie in five holes.
Bhatia and Rai both birdied 17, turning the four-way tie into a two-way tie at 17 under and both split the final hole.
Will Zalatoris, who entered the tournament ranked 44th, withdrew due to a back injury after playing eight of three holes on Saturday.
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