Going low isn’t just recommended at the QBE Shootout, a two-player team event, it’s a requirement. A year ago the winning team of Jason Kokrak and Kevin Na made three bogeys for the entire 54-hole event (amazingly the most of all 20 teams) yet won thanks to their 12 birdies on the last 13 holes.
Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer, out front this year entering Sunday’s final round at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., have yet to make a bogey as they’ve set the all-time 36-hole scoring record for the event with a 26-under 118 total. They opened with a round of 56 in the scramble format Friday (three eagles and 10 birdies) and a 62 (10 birdies) in modified alternate shot on Saturday. Sunday’s final round will be straight best ball.
Hoffman and Palmer lead by two over Tom Hoge and Sahith Theegale and four over three-time winners Harris English and Matt Kuchar and Jason Day and Billy Horschel.
Palmer is Hoffman’s sixth different partner in the event with a best previous finish of T-3. Palmer has played with three previous teammates, with his best finish also a T-3.
History would suggest that Hoffman and Palmer have a good shot to close things out on Sunday, when the teams play four-ball. In 33 years of the event, the team leading entering the final round has won 20 times.
The winners on Sunday will earn a prize money payout of $475,500 each from and overall purse of $3.8 million. Here’s the prize money payout for all the golfers competing at Tiburon. We’ll update this list shortly after Sunday’s finish with individual names and money earned.
Win: $475,500 each ($950,000 total)