It’s the kind of golf only the most die-hard — or sleep-deprived — Americans might watch: those handful of events that take place overseas and are played when most golf fans stateside are sleeping.
But those who tune in to the finish of the PGA Tour’s Baycurrent Classic on Saturday night into Sunday morning — you can watch 11 p.m.-3 a.m. ET on Golf Channel — might find something worth the investment.
There’s a three-way tie for first place — Michael Brennan, Zach Bauchou and Jacob Bridgeman are deadlocked at 13 under — and five players are just one off the lead. That group includes Adam Scott, Justin Thomas and Keith Mitchell. Even further down the list, Max Homa is 10 under and three back, and Xander Schauffele is four off the lead.
It’s only the second time this season three players are tied for the 54-hole lead.
Brennan is after his second win of the season, while Bridgeman, who won the Biltmore Championship Asheville last month, is looking for his third and could do so in back-to-back starts. Bauchou, a 30-year-old rookie, has yet to win on Tour, but this is just his 31st start.
“I just feel like my game has been pretty solid all year,” Bauchou said. “The weeks I’ve driven it well, I haven’t hit my irons that well, and the weeks that I’ve hit my irons that well, I haven’t driven it that well. But this week I’ve driven the ball pretty well, which is important out here because the fairways are pretty narrow, and then I’ve hit a lot of short iron shots. So it’s matched up pretty nice, which is kind of what you have to do to have a chance to win. Definitely excited for that.”
Although the handful of chasers have more established resumes.
Thomas has always played well overseas. He’s been runner-up in this event twice and four of his 16 PGA Tour victories have come in Malaysia or South Korea.
“I wish I knew [why I played well here] because I would love to channel it year-round,” Thomas said. “I’m not sure. I have a great track record. I’m going to try to use that to my advantage. I really enjoy coming to these events. I think it’s just something to be said and kind of cool and special when you can play in front of people that we’re never really going to get the chance to be in front of and see and play. I think the golf courses are obviously very, very cool and unique. It feels like a lot more of an experience than just another golf tournament. There could be something to be said for that. I’d like to figure it out because it would be nice to do more often.”
And then there’s Scott, the Masters champion who has won 14 times on the PGA Tour but hasn’t since the 2020 Genesis Invitational.
“It’s been like six years since I’ve won on the PGA Tour; I’m frustrated by that,” Scott said. “I feel like there’s been some good golf in there and I haven’t made the most of it, but it also shows how hard it is to win on the PGA Tour now. So this is a great chance for me tomorrow to go out and have a fantastic round and hopefully it’s better than everyone else.”
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