Tom Lewis made mincemeat of TPC Southwind on Saturday in the third round of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
He tied the course and tournament records by rattling off a 61, moving to 6-under par, which was six strokes behind third-round leader Brendon Todd heading into Sunday’s final round.
Here are three things to know about Lewis, a 29-year-old from Welwyn Garden City, England, which is also Nick Faldo’s hometown.
First year on the PGA Tour
Lewis joined the PGA Tour this year after winning the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in 2019.
Having turned pro in 2011, Lewis got his first professional win at the Portugal Masters on the European Tour in just his third professional start. He won the Portugal Masters again in 2018.
FedEx St. Jude Invitational: Leaderboard | Photos
The WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational is his ninth start on the PGA Tour. Lewis, ranked 67th in the world, has missed five cuts, and his best finish to date is a tie for 12th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in July.
Rare air
Lewis is the third golfer to card a round under 62 at TPC Southwind, which has hosted a PGA Tour event since 1989. Jay Delsing was the first to shoot a 61 there, when he did it in the fourth round in 1993, when the tournament was known as the Federal Express St. Jude Classic.
In 2001, eventual winner Bob Estes’ 61 came in the opening round.
Hideki Matsuyama (2017), Sergio Garcia (2014) and Tiger Woods (2013 and 2000) also have shot 61 in this WGC event, which previously was held in Ohio.
The dominant 61
Lewis’ round began innocently enough with back-to-back pars on Nos. 10 and 11.
Then, he caught fire. Lewis birdied five in a row – starting with a 38-plus foot putt on No. 12 – before closing out the back nine with a par and a bogey.
He wasn’t done, though. Birdies on Nos. 2, 3, 6, 7 and 9 sent him to the clubhouse tied for 10th, up 47 spots from where he began the day.
“Yeah, it was really nice,” Lewis said. “It didn’t look good this morning with the rain coming down, but it wasn’t very windy out there. The greens softened up a tiny bit. I holed putts at the right time, and it was great.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.
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