PARAMUS – Wyckoff native Morgan Hoffmann fed off the positive vibe generated by his North Jersey fans.
Hoffmann shot a bogey-free, 5-under 66 during today’s third round of The Barclays at Ridgewood CC and is currently tied for sixth place at 7-under.
“I’ve had a lot of low rounds out there, and it’s great to have one on Saturday when it means a lot,” said Hoffmann, 25, in his second year on the PGA Tour.
Hoffmann likely needs to finish in the top 25 on Sunday to advance to the second leg of the four-tournament FedEx Cup Playoffs, next week’s Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston. The top 100 in the FedExCup standings advance and Hoffmann began the Barclays at 124th and is currently projected at 63rd.
His confidence grew when he strung together consecutive birdies on the fifth, sixth, and seventh holes. His smile – and his following – grew wider with birdies on the 10th and 13th. (He chatted lightly with fans, and on his way to a bathroom break along the 12th fairway, he came over and shook my hand.)
Hoffmann’s putter caught fire. His first birdie came on the fifth, the drivable par-4, when he sank a 7-foot putt. On the par-4 sixth, he made a 17-footer for birdie. On the par-4 seventh, he dropped in a 34-footer and drew a loud round of applause.
“It was great. It was kind of a bonus,” Hoffmann said of his 34-foot putt, which came after a great approach shot overcame his errant drive into the left bunker. “Any putt over 20 feet is always a confidence booster, and it kind of propelled me up and helped me play more free like I wanted to.”
He earned his birdie on the 10th, at 230 yards the longest of the four par-3s, by chipping in from the collar from an estimated 41 feet.
He reached 5-under for the round with a birdie on the 13th, at 628 yards the longest par-5. He reached the green in three, then converted a 13-foot putt.
Each time he got himself into trouble, Hoffmann got out of it. His biggest challenge to a bogey-free round came on the eight hole, when he saved par with a 15-footer.
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