• Deutsche Bank Championship, Round Three

Big names queue up to challenge Bubba

ESPN staff
September 4, 2011
Bubba Watson lines up another putt © Getty Images
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The Deutsche Bank Championship is set for one of the most exciting finishes of the year as a host of world-class players have convened at the top of the leaderboard ahead of the final round.

Bubba Watson is the man with the target on his back going into the final round, as he looks for his second PGA Tour victory of the year. The American bounced back from a suspect patch midway through the back nine - which saw three bogeys - to salvage a one-under round of 70 with a birdie at the 17th, enough to put himself alone atop the leaderboard at 11-under.

A whole host of fine players are in behind Watson at 10-under, including Jason Day, Adam Scott, Brendan Steele, Chez Reavie and Jerry Kelly.

It is the two Australians who many will expect to challenge on Monday, although they had conflicting finishes to their third rounds - with Day finding back-to-back birdies to card a four-under 67, while Scott had to make sure he birdied the par-five 18th to make up for a scratchy bogey on the penultimate hole as he had to make do with a level-par 71.

Another five great players are ensconced at nine-under, including Luke Donald - who is searching for his fourth victory of 2011. The Englishman played himself into contention with a solid round of 68, placing himself in a tie for seventh alongside Jim Furyk, Gary Woodland, Webb Simpson and Charl Schwartzel.

That isn't the end of the list of contenders, however, as Robert Karlsson remains within touching distance at eight-under, after he fired a blistering round of 64. Geoff Ogilvy and Ryan Moore are also at the number - along with the always dangerous Nick Watney, Rickie Fowler and Brandt Snedeker.

Another player to look out for on Monday will be Phil Mickelson. The American had brief thoughts of a 59 as he made it to seven-under through 12 holes after an early start on Sunday, but he could only birdie one of his final six holes as he had to make do with a round of 63 that nevertheless put him in contention.

"Oh, yeah, absolutely did," Mickelson, who has switched to a belly putter this week, said when asked if he thought about the 59. "And had I made a couple of putts thereafter, I might have had a chance.

"It was a good ball-striking round. It was one of the best I've had."

Elsewhere, Englishman Brain Davis is five-under after an underwhelming 72 - while Graeme McDowell is a shot adrift after a round of 70. Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose can wave goodbye any slim hopes they had of victory, however, as they sit three-under and one-under respectively.

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