SAN DIEGO — Harris English has been on a roll at Torrey Pines before, so the feeling was familiar when he got it going late in the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open.
If he can keep it up for one more round, he’ll have a good chance to win on one of his favorite courses.
English finished his 6-under 66 with three straight birdies Friday, charging into a one-shot lead over Andrew Novak at 9-under 207 heading into the final round.
English capitalized after Torrey Pines’ brutal wind calmed down and the coastal South course returned to picture-perfect weather, making three birdies in four holes before the turn and adding four in his final six holes. The four-time PGA Tour winner put his 131-yard third shot inside 3 feet on the 18th, holing out for the 54-hole lead.
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“I’ve played this place for a long time now, and I feel like I know where to miss it, where to be aggressive and where to be patient,” English said. “I feel like I picked my spots really well today, and it’s nice when you’re seeing some putts go in.”
Although English has nine top-10 finishes in the past two seasons, he hasn’t won since 2021, when he survived an epic eight-hole playoff with Kramer Hickok at the Travelers Championship.
But he is more than comfortable at Torrey Pines: He went to a four-way playoff at the Farmers in 2015 before losing to Jason Day, and he finished third at the U.S. Open held on this San Diego course in 2021.
“Winning in a place like this will be massive,” English said. “It’s one of my favorite places, and the list of winners here is pretty incredible, so I love being in the mix.”
Novak also shot 66, but he went bogey-free and held the lead until English nudged in front thanks to his big finish. South African rookie Aldrich Potgieter was at 7-under 209 after the latest display of his impressive power off the tee, while Joel Dahmen, Lanto Griffin, Matti Schmid and K.H. Lee were four shots back of English at a tournament that has had its share of electrifying final-day rallies.
A large group of players had to finish its second rounds Friday morning after ferocious wind forced an 86-minute delay Thursday and affected scores across the board. There was minimal wind Friday, although the breezes are expected to kick up again Saturday.
The Farmers Insurance Open began Wednesday and ends Saturday to avoid a conflict with the NFL’s conference championship games Sunday.
Potgieter, the promising 20-year-old who leads the tournament in driving distance, birdied three par-3 holes and eagled the par-4 12th. He holed out from 173 yards with an 8 iron, celebrating with a hug from his caddie.
“Par 3s probably aren’t my strongest out of the pars, but I was hitting the ball a lot better today,” Potgieter said. “Especially on those holes, I put myself in good spots to hole some putts.”
Potgieter became the youngest winner in Korn Ferry Tour history a year ago. He battled through the wind to a 76 on Thursday, but got better along with the weather.
So did Novak, who buried a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th. Novak is chasing his first victory in his fourth season on tour, and he’s also a big fan of Torrey Pines, even if his career results on the course don’t reflect it.
“You want to win, and anytime you want something, you might put pressure on yourself,” Novak said. “There’s going to be nerves [Saturday]. You know, I’ve gone through Q-school. I’ve been sweating out cut lines. It’s all just nerves. I’ve been nervous a lot of times playing golf. It’s just part of it. You just have to step up and hit the golf shot.”
English and Novak should have fun in the final group Saturday: They both live on St. Simons Island in Georgia.
Ludvig Åberg, who led after each of the first two rounds, fell to 4-under 212 after shooting 75 while looking visibly ill during his round. Aberg might have caught the same bug affecting several players in the locker room, and he hit only eight greens in regulation in the third round.
World No. 4 Hideki Matsuyama is at 3-under 213 after shooting 70.
