Bill Haas didn't need an ace to fire third-round 65 at Doral

The fourth hole at Trump National Doral yielded two holes-in-one in a span of three groups Saturday. It was the only spot on the course where Bill Haas faltered all day.

Aside from that double strike of lightning within 24 minutes by J.B. Holmes and Dustin Johnson, Haas was the star of the third round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

Haas more than offset the lone bogey on 4 with eight birdies on the way to a 65. Haas' first sub-par round of the tournament vaulted him from the middle of the pack to a tie for fifth at 4-under par.

He said it is the nature of the Blue Monster that a very slim margin of error can separate a great round from a forgettable one.

"You have to hit the one shot they are making you hit, and if you don't you can make double; and if you do, you can make birdie," he said. "There is really no hit it to the safe shot and make par, which a lot of courses we play have a safe miss. That's why you're seeing low scores and high scores, not seeing a bunch of even pars.

"No. 3 is a great example. I hit a nice iron that was three feet left of it and I made birdie. If I'd been five feet left of it I don't think I could have kept it on the green, from that bunker to where that pin is."

On the par-3, 207-yard fourth, Haas found the trap to the left of the green. He recovered nicely with a bunker shot to within seven feet, but missed the par putt.

Haas, who already has a victory this season, didn't miss many putts of consequence Saturday, needing only 25.

"I played well but just capitalized on every opportunity that I had, and when I did hit a loose shot I seemed to have an OK shot and I was able to play," he said. "I didn't think I could shoot in the 60s on this golf course. Just fortunate that it all worked out one round, at least."

It was a fitting celebration for the birth of his second son a week ago, which had his participation in the tournament in question.

"I talked to my wife about it a bunch and I just felt like the top 50 players in the world are here and I think it's fun to stack your game up against them, no matter how I do," said Haas, the son of former PGA Tour pro Jay Haas. "My son got home safely and my wife is feeling pretty good. ... I look forward to going home, for sure."

Koepka rallies

Palm Beach County native Brooks Koepka sank a 13-footer on 18 for his second birdie in the final three holes. That left him even-par for the tournament and salvaged a 73 for a round marred by an eight on No. 10.

Koepka put two tee shots in the water on the 596-yard par 5, which can happen if you short-cut the long carry across a wide lake.

The wind can also be a factor there, but Koepka said, "I just pulled both of them, just missed both of them."

After that, he played the hole in four, sinking a 16-footer for triple-bogey.

Down a club

Rory McIlroy said he didn't bother to replace the 3-iron he angrily flung into a lake Friday and played the third round with 13 clubs in his bag.

"I guess I looked where pin positions were and where the tees were, and I didn't need a 3-iron and I felt good with the wedges that I have in the bag this week. I just went with what I had," McIlroy said.

Fan favorite

Even when not in contention, Phil Mickelson is a fan favorite, attracting a large and vociferous following, most of it supportive.

"It's flattering," he said. "I think that you just have energy when you go to a sporting event -- a football game, basketball, baseball, it's OK to yell and be exuberant. In golf, it's a little bit different; it's not quite the etiquette but you still have that nervous energy, and so it's a way for fans to release it.

"I know that when I go watch my kids play sports I kind of do the same stuff, so I totally understand it."

Asked if he gets on the officials at his kids' games, Mickelson said, "No, they're doing the best job that they can." Then, after a pause, added, "Unless they make a total idiot call, then you've got to say something, right?"

This article was written by Craig Davis from Sun Sentinel and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.