'I just blacked out': Michael Wright birdied 5 in a row, is 3 off the lead at Firestone

Michael Wright had a five-hole stretch most golfers can only dream about during Saturday's third around of the Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club . Except he barely remembers it, as if it actually was a dream that is now a lost memory.

Wright, who started the day at 1 over for the tournament, went on an absolute tear on the front 9 by birdieing five consecutive holes (3 through 7), which vaulted him into contention. Except he couldn't really tell you how he did it.

He was in such a rhythm that he was, well, effectively unconscious, as some athletes might describe how "being in the zone" feels. Except, he couldn't explain it to you.

"I parred 1 and 2 … then I just seemed to have a blackout experience through the middle of the round, just everything I looked at went in, it was just one of those days," Wright said after his round of 63, which put him three strokes off the lead heading into Sunday's final round . "Even though you're in a blackout sort of period, it's still fun, like, to just see that ball going in."

Wright wasn't even really aware he had actually gone on such a great run over five holes. It was as if he was a passenger during his own round of golf.

"To be honest, did I have five in a row?" Wright said, laughing, when asked to recap that stretch of five consecutive birdies. "I don't even know. I just blacked out. ... I couldn't even tell you what holes they were."

It reached a point that he realized he had forgotten to write down his scores for several holes. He was in a golf-related trance.

"Heck, I was on about the 14th tee, maybe, and I said to Noah, my son [and caddie], I said I pulled that scoreboard and it was blank from 3 onwards," Wright said. "Just totally oblivious to what I was meant to be doing other than hitting the ball, target, hole, target, So yeah, it was cool."

Steve Stricker leads 2024 Kaulig Companies Championship through three rounds

Wright's 63 — which for a while was threatening the tournament record of 62 until he bogeyed 17 — put him at 6 under for the tournament. After three rounds, defending champ Steve Stricker is in the lead at 9 under, followed by Ernie Els and Robert Karlsson at 8 under. Two-time champ Jerry Kelly and K.J. Choi are also at 6 under, setting up a crowded final 18 holes on Sunday.

Michael Wright's recent golf story is, well, like a dream itself. Last year, while trying to qualify to be a Champions Tour member, Wright holed out on the 72nd hole to secure his spot in just about the wildest fashion possible.

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Then, Wright only entered the Kaulig Companies Championship as first alternate after Harrison Frazar had to withdraw with a neck injury.

He barely was able to be on the tour at all this year. He barely was able to enter the field for this tournament. And now he's three strokes off the lead in a PGA Tour Champions major.

Wright will tee off at 11 a.m. Sunday in the second-to-last group along with Kelly and Choi. Stricker, Els and Karlsson will tee off as the final group at 11:11 a.m.

Perhaps if Wright ends up not remembering much of his final round on Sunday, he could be raising the trophy at the end of the day — even if he's not sure how he got there.

"It's the greatest feeling," Wright said of being on such a hot streak. "I wish we could do it more."

Ernie Els holes out on 17 at Firestone Country Club during Kaulig Companies Championship

Els had his own blackout-like stretch to finish his third round, a red-hot, bogey-less 64 that also vaulted him up the leaderboard.

Entering the final stretch of the day at 5 under for the tournament, Els birdied The Monster 16th hole and then holed out from 132 yards for an eagle on No. 17 to close the gap to Stricker.

Els joked that he was glad they were playing "way up" on the tee box on No. 16, which made it possible for him to reach the green in two, leading to the birdie. On 17, he only realized it had gone in when a particularly tall gentleman gave him the signal.

"Then 17, had 132 yards out of the rough, and one of those things, crazy game, the ball came out beautifully," Els said. "Can't see the ball land, and I just watched the crowd behind. The one tall guy behind just went really ballistic, so I knew it was in, and so it was really cool."

Els said before the tournament that he's never felt as if he's really figured out the greens at Firestone, but if he ever does, he might win his first tournament in Akron. When asked if he's felt better on the greens this week, Els smiled and said, "It's still a work in progress." It might be the difference on Sunday.

Stricker (in Els' group) and Kelly (in Wright's group) have combined to win the last four tournaments at Firestone (two each). All six golfers in those final two groups are within three strokes of the lead, with several others right behind them and still in contention if they have a "blackout" round of their own.

"A heck of a leaderboard," Els said. "There's a lot of bunched-up guys, quality players. It could still be a shootout tomorrow."

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 'I just blacked out': Michael Wright birdied 5 in a row, is 3 off the lead at Firestone