The Punter's In-Play Blog: Higgo chasing third PGA Tour win

• Garrick Higgo leads by two with 18 holes to play

• Sunday birdie rush expected in Mississippi

• In Scotland, Robert MacIntyre chases Home of Golf glory

10:00 - October 5, 2025

Playing with the freedom that good form and being injury-free brings is driving South Africa's Garrick Higgo this week. So is the knowledge that he has playing rights for next year. 

He leads by two going into the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship and seven of his nearest nine challengers are outside the FedEx Fall's top 100 needing to get inside it get a full card in 2026.

Here's the leaderboard with prices to back at 10:00:

Garrick Higgo -18 2.021/1
Steven Fisk -16 6.611/2
Danny Walker -16 9.28/1
Taylor Montgomery -15 12.523/2
Matt Kuchar -14 36.035/1 
Frankie Cappan III -14 80.079/1 
Vince Whaley -14 23.022/1 
Max Homa -13 42.041/1
Tom Kim -13 55.054/1
Eric Cole -13 70.069/1
-12 and 75.074/1 bar 

"I seem to be playing well," Higgo said. "I think all of us always try to stay patient. Some weeks it's easier than other weeks." That's the eternal mystery of golf - finding that weird sweet spot that allows the good shots to thrive and the bad shots to have minimal impact.

"I'm going to play as if I'm behind tomorrow and be as aggressive as I can be and make as many birdies as I can," he continued as he seeks a third PGA Tour victory and second of 2025. 

Those two previous wins came from being third and second with 18 holes to play. Two of his three DP World Tour wins came with a two-shot 54 hole lead, and he also won a minor tour event in South Africa when leading by two. He's in another sweet spot then because that makes him 3-for-3 with a two-shot advantage pre-final round and you can get 2.021/1. 

What are the odds pic.twitter.com/WNzUYGqoqR

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 4, 2025

What is striking about his nearest competitors is their rawness.

Fisk is a rookie who has made one top 10 in 23 starts. That was fourth in the Puerto Rico Open. He was also, however, T13th at The Dunes in the Myrtle Beach Classic which, like this week, favours long driving, making birdies and doing so on Bermuda greens. He was a second tier winner last year on Bermuda grass in Georgia (his home state) so has won in the distinct humid conditions of the south-east of the USA (they're playing in nearby Mississippi this week). 

Walker is also a rookie and also has has one top 10 this year (a lucrative sixth in the Player Championship), in his case from 21 starts. He missed the cut in his last eight starts. 

Montgomery made a rash of top 10s on the second tier, and then the PGA Tour, in 2022, but life has been more difficult since then. He's yet to win at either level and has competed on both this summer, landing three top 10s. 

In a share of fifth are another two guys yet to win at this level - Cappan III and Whaley - and the veteran Kuchar (whose last win was five years ago).

Higgo has a golden opportunity here and plenty will feel comfortable with backing him. I'm going to take a chance with Fisk, however.

He's been driving the ball well to set up opportunities and reported that he was starting to see the putts after the third round. The stats back him up.

I also like that his experience in Puerto Rico has not been forgotten. "I didn't quite finish that one off the way I would have liked to," he said yesterday. "Maybe there's something I can build on and learn from that." 

18:25 - October 4, 2025

It was a Saturday of frustration in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The good news was that the dregs of the second round were completed. But, after just a handful of holes of round three, Storm Amy forced the players from the course because of high wind. 

Eventually, DP World Tour officials cancelled what play had taken place in the third round, reduced the tournament to 54 holes, and the final round will take place on Sunday. 

Mikael Eriksson, Tournament Director, said: "We attempted to begin the third round this afternoon, but shortly after play started wind gusts of 56mph were recorded which resulted in play being suspended. Conditions for the remainder of the day gave us no option but to cancel the third round, which will start afresh on Sunday morning."

Play suspended due to high winds. #DunhillLinks pic.twitter.com/ZgTxYSPjmw

-- DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 4, 2025

The final round will be a two-tee start over all three courses, from 09:00-11:23. No word yet on what would happen in the event of a play-off - presumably everyone has fingers crossed that those involved are all at the same course, and preferably The Old Course.

Here's the leaderboard with prices to back - and which course they will complete the tournament on - as at 18:25:

Robert MacIntyre -12 2.727/4 Old Course
Richard Sterne -12 16.531/2 Carnoustie
Louis Oosthuizen -11 7.613/2 Old Course
Tapio Pulkkanen -10 95.094/1 Carnoustie
Mikael Lindberg -10 50.049/1 Carnoustie
Wenyi Ding -10 60.059/1 Carnoustie
Jacob Skov Olesen -10 18.535/2 Old Course
Tom Vaillant -10 55.054/1 Carnoustie
Freddy Schott -10 120.0119/1 Carnoustie
Scott Jamieson -10 27.026/1 Kingsbarns
Joel Girrbach -10 95.094/1 Carnoustie
Guido Migliozzi -9 90.089/1 Carnoustie
Ryan Brehm -9 200.0199/1 Carnoustie
Darius Van Driel -9 120.0119/1 Carnoustie
Todd Clements -8 50.049/1 Kingsbarns
Brooks Koepka -8  30.029/1 Old Course
Matt Fitzpatrick -8 21.020/1 Old Course
Grant Forrest -8 46.045/1 Old Course
Kristoffer Reitan -8 40.039/1 Old Course
Joakim Lagergren -8 55.054/1 Old Course
Andrea Pavan -8 110.0109/1 Kingsbarns
-7 and 38.037/1 bar

MacIntyre is 1-for-5 at converting a pre-final round lead and we need to consider that, while he has an easier track to tackle on Sunday than his co-leader Sterne, he doesn't much like The Old Course (see yesterday's entry below). 

The Scot should be high on confidence and relishing the opportunity, but at 2.89/5 he can easily be overlooked.

Of the South Africans, Sterne is 2-for-7 at winning following a pre-final round lead of any kind and Oosthuizen is only 4-for-9 at breaking 70 in a final round on The Old Course with a best of 68. 

Conventional wisdom would have us discount those playing at the toughest of the three tracks, Carnoustie, which brings Olesen into the reckoning.

I was at Ballyliffin when he won the Amateur Championship and he was wonderfully creative in the wind. He's backed up his links nous since with a share of the first round lead in July's Open and third place at Trump International in August. His price has this factored in, however. 

We added Forrest yesterday and two others to consider are Lagergren (a four-time top four tournament finisher who has carded a final round 66 on The Old Course) and Todd Clements (who was second at halfway at Royal County Down last September and second after 54 holes at Trump International a few weeks ago). 

I like the idea of taking on conventional wisdom with a Carnoustie-based performer. Back in 2018, Pulkkanen was fourth in this event on debut and was massively helped by a third round 64 at Carnoustie. He also opened the 2022 event with a 66 there.

There's always a big worry with him because, at this level, he's been a Finn who can't finish - and he'll also play his last hour of golf knowing exactly what he needs to do (he tees off last of all the contenders) which would add to the stress.

But funny things sometimes happen in reduced events, he's played the course and event well in the past, and he's a big price given his leaderboard position. At the least, it might be trade-able.

I'll be back tomorrow morning for the wrap-up of the 54 hole position on the PGA Tour.

10:15 - October 4, 2025

There is a lot of card talk this week in the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson because only the top 100 at the conclusion of the FedEx Fall keep their cards and there are only five events after this one. 

The halfway leader Garrick Higgo started the week ranked 88th, Eric Cole shares second and was 78th, the rest were all outside the top 100 and need to keep the pedal to the metal.

Here is the leaderboard with prices to back at 10:15:

Garrick Higgo -13 3.412/5
Eric Cole -12 8.27/1
Taylor Montgomery -12 8.88/1
Danny Walker -11 22.021/1
Vince Whaley -10 15.529/2 
Tom Kim -10 16.015/1 
Frankie Capan III -10 110.0109/1 
David Ford -9 60.059/1
Steven Fisk -9 32.031/1
Brice Garnett -9 110.0109/1
-8 and 40.039/1 bar 

Higgo won the Corales Puntacana Championship in April which grants him freedom from the card race and it's not the only reason he is in good shape.

He's also feeling fitter after a labrum injury. He's playing well (he was seventh last time out). And he's also spent the last fortnight reflecting on playing with World No 1 Scottie Scheffler in that latter effort. "I learned so much just from watching," he said.

Last month, Garrick Higgo played the final round @ProcoreChamp alongside eventual winner Scottie Scheffler.

Higgo now leads @Sanderson_Champ with opening rounds of 65-66. pic.twitter.com/tmRDkQauvH

-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 3, 2025

He's only had one previous 36-hole lead in his career, when he turned it into a win in a 54-hole minor tour event in South Africa. But his win in the Canary Islands on the DP World Tour and that win in April both came when he was second at this stage. He's also finished third and T16 in three previous starts at Jackson.

There's plenty of reason to think he's a solid option but I'd have wanted 5.04/1.

All 11 champions on this course were in the top 10 at halfway but two came from five shots back and another from six adrift so that suggests everyone down to 7-under has a chance which gives 27 players hope. 

No-one quite jumps out at the moment so we'll keep the powder dry for ahead of the final round. I'll be back this evening to look at the state of play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

18:40 - October 3, 2025

Thursday and Friday morning in St Andrews was wonderful fun, played in easy conditions and the field took full advantage with a barage of birdies. Nathan Kimsey even made nine of them in a row to equal the tour record.

Then the flags started flapping, the rain started falling (sideways) and the skies darkened. The approach of Storm Amy was confirmed and the golf changed. Pars were suddenly as valuable as birdies had been

When played was suspended because of waterlogged conditions not everyone had completed their rounds but a solid enough picture had emerged.

Here's the state of play with prices to back at 18:40:

Robert MacIntyre -12 2.9215/8
Richard Sterne -12 23.022/1
Louis Oosthuizen -11 12.011/1
Tapio Pulkkanen -10 100.099/1
Tom Vaillant -10 55.054/1
Freddy Schott -10 100.099/1
Scott Jamieson -10 30.029/1
Joel Girrbach -10 130.0129/1
Wenyi Ding -10 65.064/1
Mikael Lindberg -10 65.064/1
Tom McKibbin -10 (thru 17) 11.010/1
Ryan Brehm -10 (thru 16) 260.0259/1
-9 and 17.016/1 bar

MacIntyre makes for an intriguing case. On the one hand, he's clearly riding the Ryder Cup wave this week and would be a hugely popular winner.

On the other, while he's ticked off four top 30 finishes in five tournament starts, his previous best is just T20th. Moreover, he's on record as saying he doesn't much like the Old Course and last year he grumbled that he'd like to "blow up" the famous 17th hole. Guess what? He'll play his final 36 holes on the Old Course.

Can't close the roof here @andy_murray @dunhilllinks pic.twitter.com/lty2HTp2L8

-- Robert MacIntyre (@robert1lefty) October 3, 2025

Sterne was second in the event in 2016 and has twice finished sixth. He's a fine player, good enough to win six times at this level, but the last of those was in 2013.

He's on the comeback trail after long-term injury problems and did grab the first round lead when the DP World Tour last played links golf (in Aberdeen in August), ending that week T10th (his best finish of 2025).

Oosthuizen won the 2010 Open in St Andrews and lost the same championship's play-off there in 2015, but he has just three top 10s in 15 Dunhill Links starts with a best of tied fifth in 2011.

Of the nine many currently sharing fourth, both Jamieson (in an event reduced to 36 holes in 2012) and McKibbin have won once at this level. The other seven have no winning experience.

All told, it's tempting to wonder if someone can't make a move on the leaders over the weekend (or maybe over Saturday, Sunday and Monday because there is wild wind forecast for tomorrow).

The market likes the chances of Brooks Koepka who is 17.016/1 and 8-under with three holes to play at Kingsbarns (one of them a par-5).

What, however, of Grant Forrest at 48.047/1. The Scot is on the same score as Koepka, also has three holes to play, one of them is also a par-5, and he average 68.25 over his last six rounds on The Old Course (which he has two laps of coming up).

He is also a good links performer: a winner at Fairmont St Andrews, was fifth at Royal County Down last September, and was a winner at Trump International in August.

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