Saturday at the John Deere Classic saw so many birdies at TPC Deere Run. The 54-hole leader, Davis Thompson, made nine en route to his 9-under 62. He leads the field by two shots at 21-under.
The former Georgia Bulldog was not the only PGA Tour player to take advantage of Moving Day.
Thirty-four players shot 68 or better, which helped many of them skyrocket up the leaderboard. However, who took the Moving Day the most seriously?
These five players kept themselves in contention or helped themselves get into contention after a solid third round.
5. Jason Day
The Aussie who started his career at the John Deere Classic, Jason Day, pushed himself up the leaderboard by 17 spots.
He carded a 5-under 66 on Saturday to sit at 11-under. Day is 10 shots behind Thompson, but it is all about position for him. If he can keep it up, he will only improve his FedEx Cup playoff standing.
4. Seamus Power
Seamus Power moved up 11 spots after his third-round 5-under 66, which got him to 13-under. He sits tied for 21st and is eight spots back. However, in the FedEx Cup standings, Power ranks in the 60s, so a good finish on Sunday could help him keep his season going.
3. Michael Thorbjornsen
The PGA Tour rookie, Michael Thorbjornsen, missed the cut last week in Detroit but is tied for sixth at the John Deere Classic.
He carded a 5-under 66 to move up four spots as he sits at 16-under. Five shots are entirely doable, but he will have to stay aggressive.
2. Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth shocked everyone Saturday morning as he came out red-hot on Moving Day. He jumped up 35 spots to sit tied for 12th and at 14-under. Spieth signed for an 8-under 63, which marked his lowest score of the year.
As a two-time John Deere Classic winner, he knows what it will take on Sunday. At seven shots off the lead, he may be out of reach to earn his third title, but a top 10 would be huge for his confidence heading into the last stretch of the season.
1. Eric Cole
Eric Cole recorded a 7-under 64 on Saturday to move up two spots. He and Aaron Rai sit at 19-under total and two shots behind Thompson. Cole took full advantage of Moving Day by avoiding too many costly mistakes.
He made two birdies on the front nine but got hot on the back. Cole birdied 10 and 11 before adding his fifth at the par-4 14th. His lone mistake came at 15 when he made a bogey, but Cole put himself back into contention with a birdie-eagle-par finish.
Cole’s eagle on the 17th was massive for him. It allowed him to close out the day with a bang and got him into the final group.
These guys needed strong performances on Moving Day, and they delivered.
The PGA Tour announced that the field will play off split tees for Sunday’s round since there is a chance of scattered thunderstorms throughout the day.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
