“I love playing in Texas…it’s my favorite state to play in.”
Mac Meissner is playing in front of family and friends this week at the @CSChallengeFW. He caught up with @Amanda_Balionis following his third round.
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Mac Meissner interview with Amanda Balionis
Mac Meissner will enter the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge firmly in contention after another steady performance at Colonial Country Club on Saturday. The PGA Tour player carded a 3-under 67 in the third round to move to 10-under overall, leaving him tied for third place and just two shots behind leader Eric Cole.
Playing in Texas, a state with deep personal ties for Meissner, the 27-year-old continued his recent run of strong form. The round marked another encouraging step for a player who has now put himself in contention multiple times over the past several weeks. Following his round, Meissner spoke with CBS Sports’ Amanda Balionis about the factors behind his recent success and the support he has received from family and friends this week.
“I love playing in Texas…it’s my favorite state to play in.”
Mac Meissner is playing in front of family and friends this week at the @CSChallengeFW. He caught up with @Amanda_Balionis following his third round.
Meissner’s third-round performance featured four birdies against a single bogey. He sits alongside defending U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun at 10-under heading into Sunday’s final round, with Ryan Gerard at 11-under and Cole leading at 12-under.
During his post-round interview with Balionis, Meissner highlighted how comfortable he feels competing in Texas, where he attended high school and college and now lives with his wife in Dallas.
Balionis noted that more than 50 family members and friends have been following Meissner throughout the week at Colonial.
Asked how that familiarity could help him in the final round, Meissner said, “Yeah, I mean, I love playing in Texas. I’m really comfortable with Bermuda rough, firm conditions, wind. I love shaping my golf ball.”
He added, “And, yeah, being here is just so much fun. I’m really glad that the PGA Tour gives us so many opportunities in Texas. It’s my favorite state to play in, and I love playing in front of family and friends.”
The local support has coincided with one of the best stretches of Meissner’s PGA Tour career. With another strong result this week, he has positioned himself for a chance to contend deep into Sunday at one of the Tour’s historic events.
GettyMac Meissner of the United States
Balionis also asked Meissner about the recent improvement in his results after recording two top-10 finishes in his previous three starts.
Meissner pointed to increased opportunities to compete under pressure as a major reason for his progress.
“Yeah, I mean, honestly, it’s just been getting playing opportunities,” Meissner said. “I feel like my game’s been trending in the right direction, so just continuing to put myself in contention more often and getting more comfortable with that has been really important.”
He added that contending regularly has been a specific goal this season.
“I haven’t really done that a lot in my, I guess, PGA Tour career. I’ve had a lot of like consistent top 25s and it’s been great, but I’ve definitely made it a goal this year to get myself in contention a little bit more and get more comfortable with that.”
The numbers from Saturday reflected that progress. Through three rounds, Meissner ranked tied for third in strokes gained total at 9.466. He was ninth in strokes gained approach and fourth in strokes gained around the green, helping him stay near the top of the leaderboard despite a driving accuracy mark of 57.14%.
Meissner’s round included birdies on Nos. 2, 6, and 8 before adding another on the 11th hole. He finished with a 31 on the front nine and a 36 on the back for his 67.
After opening rounds of 66 and 67, Meissner’s steady play has kept him among the tournament leaders all week. With 18 birdies through three rounds and a share of third place entering Sunday, he remains in position to challenge for his first PGA Tour victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Debayan Biswas Debayan Biswas is a sports writer at Heavy Sports covering NBA, NFL, Golf, and Soccer. His work has been syndicated on Yahoo Sports, Yardbarker, Flipboard, The Sun News, and The Olympian. Previously, he contributed to Athlon Sports, EssentiallySports, and PFSN. More about Debayan Biswas
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