Seeking to turn around a rough year, the 31-year-old Australian will head into the closing round four shots behind joint leaders Seamus Power and Austin Smotherman and with a big payday in the offing.
Davis again went bogey-free as he followed Friday's stellar 64 with a four-under 67 third round, showing his ability in windy conditions to get to 12 under and a share of 12th place at Port Royal on Saturday.
It's a welcome position for the two-time tour winner who has made just six cuts in 19 starts this year for a best result of tied 21st at the Scottish Open in July.
Having used up the two-year exemption earned for the second of his two Rocket Mortgage Classic victories in Detroit in 2024, the Sydneysider currently sits a distant 190th in the FedEx Cup Fall rankings.
Irishman Power made up a two-shot deficit over the wind-blown closing holes as he also posted a 67 while American Smotherman shot a 66 in wind that lived up its reputation in Bermuda.
It was strong enough to impress Power, the Irishman who grew up in these conditions.
"Today was proper wind, at least for me," Power said. "It's tough because you'd like to hit a low shot but you're so elevated or you're hitting off an upslope that it's tough to judge, it's tough to get the flight that you'd like to hit. So it's a different challenge than when we play in wind at home."
Power and Smotherman were two shots clear of American Taylor Moore (66), and Canadians Corey Conners and Ben Silverman, who each shot a 69.
The wind was so severe on the par-3 16th that Smotherman's chip 7-iron to a front pin wound up going into a back bunker some 35 yards long. He blasted out to the fairway just in front of the green and got that up-and-down for a bogey.
But Smotherman is feeling looser than most this time of the year. He picked up his first PGA Tour title at the Utah Championship, earning a two-year exemption and all but assuring he will be in the early $US20 million signature events.
Power is at No.103 and needs to end the FedEx Cup Fall in the top 100 to keep his full status for next year. Seven of the leading 10 players on the leaderboard Saturday were outside the top 100.
More wind was in the forecast for Sunday, which Power said should work in his favour — not because he's Irish, but it makes it harder for those behind to make up ground with birdies.
Even so, it's usually tight at Port Royal. This is the third consecutive year the tournament has had a two-way share of the lead going into the final round.
with AAP
15°C