Keegan Bradley (left) and Tom Gillis were in the same group on Saturday but have different tee times for Sunday's final round. (Pennington/Getty Images)

By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM

IRVING, Texas -- Tom Gillis wants nothing better than to overtake Keegan Bradley and win his first PGA TOUR event in Sunday's final round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

But that doesn't mean the 44-year-old Gillis, who starts the round two shots off the lead, isn't a big fan of Bradley. The two practice and play out of the same club in South Florida, and on Saturday, Gillis got his first up-close look at Bradley in a TOUR event as one of his playing partners.

"He's the 'new breed,' I call it. Very powerful," Gillis said. "That's the future of the game. He's one of the best players out here, there is no doubt.

"I've played with a lot of them, but this is the first time I've played with him in a tournament, and it's there. He's got the grit. He wants to do it. The sky is probably the limit."

The 26-year-old Bradley is seeking his fourth TOUR win and second HP Byron Nelson title on Sunday. 

By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM

IRVING, Texas -- Tom Gillis' approach to Sunday's final round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship?

Be as boring as possible.

The 44-year-old Gillis, seeking his first PGA TOUR win, will start the day just two shots off the lead held by Keegan Bradley. He's an unlikely contender this week, having missed the cut in his five previous starts and failing to post a top-20 finish in 11 starts.

But he's in solo third now and will go with the same gameplan on Sunday that has carried him for the first three rounds at TPC Four Seasons Resort.

"Just like I have all week, I've tried to make it as boring as I can, hit it in the center of the green and even if it's 25-, 30-feet, have a roll at it and go from there," Gillis said.

"Just make it very, very boring would be my way of going about it tomorrow."

Gillis was anything but boring on the 18th hole Saturday when he blasted out of a greenside bunker and into the cup for an unlikely birdie. When Bradley made bogey on the hole, Gillis climbed to within two shots of the lead at 11 under.

He knows it will be tough to catch Bradley, but perhaps his calm, boring approach will pay off.

"The key tomorrow is to give yourself a lot of opportunities and see if you can probably put a good one on it," he said. "Keegan is playing pretty good, but you got to play 'em all, see how it shakes out."

IRVING, Texas -- Tom Gillis holed his bunker shot at the 18th hole in Saturday's third round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

That finished off a 3-under 67 for Gillis, who is now at 11 under for the tournament, two shots behind tournament leader Keegan Bradley.

Gillis goes into Sunday's final round seeking his first PGA TOUR win.

By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM

IRVING, Texas -- In his first 12 holes of Saturday's third round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship, Tom Gillis has needed just 13 putts.

Yest, that's a pretty good ratio.

Gillis has one-putted nine greens, and holed out from the fringe at the par-4 eighth for par.

In only two of his first 12 holes has he needed two putts.

Gillis entered the third round leading the field in strokes gained-putting.

A bogey-free 3 under on his round, Gillis is currently at 11 under for the tournament, two shots behind leader Keegan Bradley.

By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM

IRVING, Texas -- Tom Gillis had some disagreements with his swing coach Jeff Leishman earlier this year and decided to step away to work on his own for a couple of months.

Did the move pay off?

Uh, not really.

"Kind of got lost," Gillis said. "Fortunately he was nice enough to take me back."

Being reunited with Leishman seems to be paying dividends for the 44-year-old Gillis. He tied his career low round on the PGA TOUR with a 7-under 63 in Friday's second round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship.

That left him at 8 under for the tournament and in great shape to chase after his first TOUR win this weekend.

Gillis entered this week having missed five consecutive cuts and eight total out of 11 starts this year. Being back with Leishman  -- who is based in Jupiter, Fla., and has worked with Gillis for five years -- provided a calming influence.

"I felt like I was back to the old stuff, normal, the way it was," said Gillis, who's best finish this year was a tie for 25th at The Honda Classic. "I think that relaxed me, and when you're relaxed, you play good."

Gillis opened with a 1-under 69 on Thursday as part of the afternoon wave that faced tougher scoring conditions. Gillis was glad to see preferred lies and benign conditions in effect for the second round, and he took advantage by hitting 12 fairways and 13 greens while needing just 24 putts.

There was only one stumble on Gillis' round. Through 17 holes -- he started his round off the 10th tee -- he was a bogey-free 8 under for the day, one of his birdies coming from a putt of nearly 42 feet at the second hole.

But after a nice approach shot at the par-4 ninth left him 9 feet from another birdie and a round of 61, Gillis three-putted from that distance to drop a stroke.

"I just gave it a little too much speed," he said. "I think I probably lost concentration on the comebacker, so I guess that happens."

Back with his coach, though, Gillis doesn't anticipate many lapses of concentration going forward. He also doesn't expect any more disagreements with Leishman.

"I think he was right all along, to be honest with you," Gillis said.

By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM

IRVING, Texas -- For his first 17 holes in Friday's second round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship, Tom Gillis was having the round of his life.

His final hole didn't end the way he hoped, but Gillis still walked off the course with a 7-under 63, tying his career low round on the PGA TOUR.

That left the 44-year-old Gillis at 8 under through two rounds and puts him in position to make a weekend charge at his first TOUR win.

Gillis had the hottest round of any player for most of Friday's morning wave. Starting his round off the 10th tee, Gillis was a bogey-free 8 under through 17 holes.

His approach shot on his final hole, the par-4 ninth, landed 9 feet, 1 inch from the pin. But instead of a possible birdie and a 61, Gillis three-putted for 63.

His only other 63 came at The Greenbrier Classic in 2010. That's also the last time Erik Compton shot 63 ... until he matched that on Friday.

And just like with Gillis, Compton played terrific for most of his round until a late stumble. He was 7 under through his first 16 holes, and at the par-4 third, he rolled in a putt from 55 feet -- the longest of his TOUR career.

He bogeyed the par-4 eighth before bouncing back with a birdie at the ninth.

His 63 leaves him at 5 under for the tournament.

 

To preview the 2013 PGA TOUR season, PGATOUR.COM is counting down the Top 100 Players to Watch in 2013. For an archive page with the top 100 players and for an explanation on how the list was compiled, click here .

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MORE TOP 100: Back to No. 76 | Forward to No. 74 | Top 100 archive

2013 PREVIEW: Tom Gillis made a big improvement in the TOUR's strokes-gained putting statistic, moving from 160th to 54th -- which fueled the improvement in his scoring average from 127th to 86th. He wasn't as solid with his iron play, though, dropping from 68th to 129th, which will likely be an area of emphasis next season.

2012 DEFINING MOMENT: Gillis posted his career-best finish on TOUR when he birdied the 72nd hole at The Honda Classic to finish in a tie for second. The company was heady -- Rory McIlroy won by two and Tiger Woods shared second with Gillis. –- Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM

ALBERS’ QUICK TAKE: Tom must be very mentally tough. He left the West Coast having made one cut and $21,000. Gillis then started the Florida Swing with a T-2nd at Honda and ripped off a string of eight made cuts in a row. That second-place finish at Honda was special as he shot 69-69 during high winds on the weekend. -- Fred Albers, SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio

BOLTON’S FANTASY OUTLOOK: Since rejoining the PGA TOUR in 2010, he's established a bit of a reputation as a guy that re-emerges just about when you expect him to disappear. Injuries have prevented long-term flourishes, but it's not like he isn't producing enough to warrant inclusion somewhere in the back half of rosters. He turned 44 in July, so time is not an ally, but he'll be able to convert on tracks where splitting fairways has value and scores are low. -- Rob Bolton, PGATOUR.COM Fantasy expert

SOCIAL MEDIA: Find him on Twitter

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2012 QUICK REVIEW

Regular Season ranking 92nd

Final Playoffs ranking 40th

Best finish

T-2nd

The Honda Classic

By the Numbers Starts: 23 Cuts made: 16 Rounds played: 75 Top-10 finishes: 3 Money List rank: 72nd

TOUR ranking Driving distance: 103rd Driving accuracy: 23rd Greens in regulation: 129th Strokes gained-putting: 54th Scoring average: 86th

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NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

What is your prediction for Tom Gillis in 2013? Fill out the form below and let us know

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- There’s little argument who the best player in the world is, literally or figuratively. At least at the moment.

Rory McIlroy shot a 1-under 69 Sunday to win The Honda Classic by two shots, withstanding an epic charge from Tiger Woods to move to fourth in the FedExCup standings and the top of the Official World Golf Ranking.

“I think the way I won today … I made a couple big par saves early,” McIlroy said. “It was just one of those days. There was a 62 and a 63 out there, which is unbelievable playing. I just needed to focus on my game and do what I needed to do, and thankfully that's what happened.”

The 62 came from Woods, who put on a charge eerily similar to the one he had during the final round of the 2011 Masters. Similarly, it wasn’t enough to overcome the hole he’d put himself in.

Woods went out in 31 then matched that number on the back, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 18th that sent the crowd into a frenzy. There was a fist pump from Woods, who carded his lowest round since the third round of the 2009 BMW Championship, and the roar was heard all the way back to the 13th hole where McIlroy was playing.

“I couldn't really think about it too much. I just had to concentrate on what I was doing,” McIlroy said.

Coming off his only bogey of the day, McIlroy answered with a birdie of his own and never led by fewer than two the rest of the day.

“It was nice to have that two-shot cushion going into the last five holes after holing that birdie putt,” McIlroy continued.

McIlroy parred in from there and for the week played the infamous Bear Trap -- Nos. 15, 16 and 17 -- in a combined 3 under with three birdies and no bogeys.

He played the rest of the course pretty well, too. For the week, McIlroy was sixth in putting and 10th in greens in regulation.

“My putting has been really good, especially today,” McIlroy said. “I made a couple of big par saves early, and then made the putts I needed to.

“That was big this week, saving par, which I managed to do today very well.”

Others made big charges too -- Lee Westwood finished fourth after a 63, and Tom Gillis had a career-best tie for second after 1-under 69 as he hung with McIlroy nearly all afternoon -- but in the end this day was all about McIlroy.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- The final round of The Honda Classic is in the books. Check below for updates, news and more from Sunday at PGA National. FINAL-ROUND UPDATES (All times ET) | Final leaderboard 5:38 p.m.: Slow and steady won the race for Rory McIlroy. It wasn't flashy down the stretch, but it didn't have to be as McIlroy parred his last five holes -- scrambling on three of them -- to hold off Tom Gillis and Tiger Woods to win The Honda Classic. McIlroy will move to No. 4 in the race for the FedExCup and No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking with his victory at PGA National. 5:15 p.m.: Rory McIlroy makes yet another up-and-down for par on the 17th hole. He heads to the par-5 18th needing just a bogey to secure a victory at PGA National. 5:05 p.m.: Two holes into the Bear Trap and Rory McIlroy's two-shot lead remains intact. After scrambling for par on No. 15, Mcilroy had a routine par on the 16th. He's off to the tough 186-yard par-3 17th. 4:35 p.m.: Rory McIlroy has entered the Bear Trap, where trying to hold onto his two-shot lead over Tiger Woods, who is already in with a 62. McIlroy has played the 15th, 16th and 17th holes in a combined 3 under this week with three birdies and no bogeys. If he can get through there in even par today, he’ll likely win. 4:12 p.m.: Things just got a lot more interesting at PGA National. Tiger Woods holed an 8-foot eagle putt on the 18th to cap a final-round 62 and take the clubhouse lead at PGA National. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy was rolling home an 8-foot putt of his own -- for birdie -- on the par-4 13th to push back to 12 under. 3:59 p.m.: Rory McIlroy found his first bump in the road Sunday at PGA National when he bogeyed the par-4 12th hole. Losing that shot, McIlroy falls to 11 under. He's three clear of playing competitor Tom Gillis and Justin Rose, who got up-and-down from a fairway bunker for birdie on No. 13. Lee Westwood is in the clubhouse three back while Tiger Woods is three off the pace with one hole to play. 3:20 p.m.: Back-to-back bogeys by Tom Gillis have dropped the 43-year-old four shots back of Rory McIlroy, who now seems to be well on his way to his third career PGA TOUR victory. McIlroy has just one birdie all da but he’s been mistake-free with zero bogeys on the card on what’s been a wet and windy day at PGA National. 2:55 p.m.: Tiger Woods’ birdie barrage has slowed a bit. Woods had pretty good looks on Nos. 12 and 13, but missed from 18 and 14 feet, respectively. They were by no means gimmies of course, but both had a chance at going in the hole and nearly did. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy made his first birdie of the day on No. 8 and just turned in 1 under. He leads by three over Tom Gillis and five over Woods. 2:30 p.m.: Seven holes down for Rory McIlroy, seven pars. He hasn’t been quite as sharp as he was in his previous three rounds here, but McIlroy has made a couple of big putts when he’s need to make them, including a 12-footer to save par on the par-3 seventh, where he missed the green right and into a bunker. The good news for McIlroy is that he still leads by one over Tom Gillis. However, Tiger Woods continues to climb. Woods is 5 under through 12 holes and only four back of McIlroy with just two players separating him from the top spot on the leaderboard. 2:05 p.m.: Rory McIlroy is six holes into his final round and still has the lead by one over Tom Gillis. But it’s Tiger Woods who is making the biggest noise right now. Woods is 5 under through his first 11 holes after his third birdie of the day (he also has an eagle) to get to 7 under for the week. Woods is still four shots off the lead, but he’s now tied for fourth with only two players separating him from McIlroy. 1:25 p.m.: Rory McIlroy has had a couple of looks at birdie through his first three holes but has failed to convert either of them. On the first hole, he missed a 10-footer and had to settle for par, and on the par-5 third just now he missed from just outside 15 feet. Tom Gillis did not miss, though, and thanks to his second birdie of the day he is now one back of McIlroy. Charl Schwartzel, meanwhile, is now in third by himself after playing his first four holes in 2 under. 1:05 p.m.: Thanks to an eagle and two birdies, Tiger Woods is now 6 under for the week and five shots off the lead. He’s still a long way from contending of course, but Woods is putting well with 11 putts through seven holes. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy made a big par save from about 13 feet on the second hole after missing the green short on his approach. Tom Gillis, who was within a stroke of McIlroy after a birdie on the first hole, gave it right back with a bogey on No. 2 after missing a par save from just inside 12 feet. 12:46 p.m.: What was a two-stroke lead at the start of the day for Rory McIlroy is down to one after Tom Gillis birdied the opening hole, where he hit his approach to just over 7 feet and made the putt. McIlroy and Harris English, meanwhile, both parred the hole. McIlroy had a look at birdie from just inside 11 feet but slid it past the hole, while English got up-and-down from just short of the green. 12:30 p.m.: The final group of Rory McIlroy, Harris English and Tom Gillis has teed off here at PGA National, where Justin Rose and Charl Schwartzel have cut into their lead a little bit. Both birdied the first hole and are three and four shots back, respectively, of McIlroy, who leads English and Gillis by two. 12 p.m.: Despite the wet conditions, the ball is being played down here in the final round at PGA National, where some low starts are popping up. Tiger Woods, who played just one hole before was suspended earlier, is 2 under through his first three holes, while Lee Westwood and Erik Compton are both 3 under early in their rounds. Spencer Levin is also 2 under through 3 holes. They all still have a long way to go, however, with Rory McIlroy at 11 under. McIlroy will tee off in 20 minutes. 11:45 a.m.: Play resumed about 15 minutes ago with a couple of players taking advantage of what are some pretty soft conditions after rain rolled through the area earlier. Lee Westwood played his first three holes in 3 under, while Erik Compton was 2 under through his first three holes. Because of the delay, the leaders won’t tee off until 12:20 p.m. This is the third time Rory McIlroy has taken a lead to the final round, and he’s 1-for-2 in that situation having of course gone on to an easy victory in last year’s U.S. Open.