Keegan Bradley trying not to look ahead at Wells Fargo Championship

POTOMAC, Maryland – Keegan Bradley is a native New Englander, a four-time PGA TOUR winner, 42nd in the FedExCup, and at 65th in the world is just outside the top 60.

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Significance? The top 60 on May 23, after the PGA Championship, will get into the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Bradley’s beloved Boston. He is acutely aware of this.

“I'm trying not to think about it, but you reminded me,” said Bradley (67, 8 under), who has been the class of the field at the wet, cold Wells Fargo Championship at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. “It's on my mind. I know what's at stake.

“A lot of good things can come with a good round tomorrow.”

The 35-year-old from Woodstock, Vermont, leads by two over Max Homa (71).

Anirban Lahiri (70), seeking his first TOUR win, and James Hahn (72) are four back.

“Attitude and patience,” Homa, who will be going for his fourth TOUR title overall and second of this season (Fortinet Championship), said of his keys this week. And good outerwear, too.

“It’s pretty tough,” said Russell Henley (74, 4 over total). “You can’t feel your hands and your body’s not moving great, and the ball isn’t going anywhere. It was going 15 yards shorter for me. To shoot under par is really bringing your stuff today.”

The temperature was 48 degrees late Saturday, but the rain made it feel colder. Only four players broke par. The field average of 3.662 over par was the highest relative to par since the final round of the 2020 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (+3.959). Tyrrell Hatton (76, 2 over total) bogeyed seven of his last 10 holes and said he didn’t even play that bad.

“Unfortunately, I shot myself out of the tournament,” he said.

Added Austin Smotherman, “I just birdied three of my last five holes to shoot 73, and I feel like I played lights-out.” He shook his head and laughed. “I was even par other than a triple on 17. You’re just one swing away …”

From calamity, he didn’t have to say.

In conditions this hard, no lead is safe. Jason Day started the day with a three-shot cushion over Homa, but in 45 excruciating minutes squandered it all and then some, going bogey, triple-bogey, bogey on holes 3, 4 and 5.

Day’s front-nine 41 brought almost everyone who made the cut back into it.

“Unfortunately, I just didn’t have my stuff today,” he said after signing for a 79 (1 under total).

Matt Fitzpatrick (71) is 3 under and five behind.

Rory McIlroy (68) had the day’s second-best round and at 2 under is in a logjam at six back.

“I know it's probably not going to be as wet,” said McIlroy, the defending champion and three-time Wells Fargo winner. “It's going to be quite cold. I don't know what the wind's going to be like. I can't imagine tomorrow being any tougher than today was. You can't really chase much around here because it's a tough golf course, but like six shots is still a long way back.”

Bradley had the best round for the second straight day; he shot 65 in similar weather Friday. His performance this week comes after he shot a 71 in a stiff, cold wind at THE PLAYERS Championship in March. It would have been a 69 absent a bizarre penalty after his ball blew across the green.

Bad weather? Bradley’s coach, Darren May, and caddie, Scott Vail, look forward to it like a kid looks forward to Christmas. They remind Bradley he owns bad weather.

“When the conditions get like this,” Bradley said, “I find a sense of calm because I'm sort of worried about other things, keeping my clubs dry and my bag dry. Sort of keeps me in the present.”

The forecast for the final round Sunday calls for colder temps, but no rain. No doubt the course will again be a beast.

“It feels like I've just gone 12 rounds in a pro boxing match,” Lahiri said. “You're fighting everything – you're fighting your body, the elements, the water, the cold, the conditions.

“Yeah, it's tough work and you just have to grit your teeth and kind of grind it out.”