Troy Merritt scores his first career Ace during the third round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic's 11th hole. (0:45).DETROIT -- Troy Merritt removed his cap and briefly bowed to acknowledge the cheering crowd following his first ace on the PGA Tour.He wasn't able to enjoy the moment for very long.Merritt's hole in-one gave him a three shot lead. But, he gave back a stroke on the next hole with an eagley. He then shot a 5-under-67 on Saturday. Joaquin Niemann used the opening to take the lead in the Rocket Mortgage Classic's third round.Niemann, who was in the lead at 36 holes with Tom Lewis, tied it by two-putting from 46 yards at 17. For a 68, he parred the last hole, the most difficult one at Detroit Golf Club.Hank Lebioda (66), and Cam Davis (67), were one stroke behind, while Brandon Hagy (68), was one shot behind. Lewis (71) was one of six players who had a legitimate shot on the short course with receptive fairways.Merritt stated that the mindset would be to make a few birdies but not give away any. "Make them work for us and make it worthwhile in the end.Rickie Fowler (68), was five shots behind the pack, while Davis Thompson (72) was six back. Thompson played 36 holes in one over after opening with a course record-breaking 63. He then finished with rounds of 72 and 73.Merritt, 35 years old, made his first hole in one on the PGA Tour. He played from 219 yards using a 5-iron off one ball. This gave him a three stroke advantage.Merritt was fired-up, as were the fans, one year after the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic was closed to spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.He said that it was "amazing to have the fans back here, whooping, hollering about the good shots," and "commiserating over the bad shots and hearing some of those comments you probably don’t want to hear."He closed his round with six consecutive pars after his bogey.Merritt, a native of Iowa, won the 2018 Barbasol Championship his second PGA Tour title. He missed the next two months of competition after he was hospitalized with a blood clot.This week, he entered with three top-10 finishes in this year's PGA Tour -- including a pair in May -- which put him in the same position as the last year.Merritt quickly rose to the top of the leaderboard after his Saturday round, which he started at 9 under. He was one shot behind the lead. Merritt had four birdies in seven holes, and he lamented not having another. He missed a 14-foot putt on hole 9.He was 6 under on the par-3 11th, which might have been a difficult feat for him to compose.Merritt insists that "we had enough time to settle down before we went for the next tee shot."Merritt missed the fairway to his right on the par-4 12th, 493 yards. He was then long on a chip, 14-foot putt and a chip, giving Merritt a bogey. This cut his lead to one stroke.Niemann, 22, had two birdies in his final five holes to be in contention to win the tournament for the second consecutive year. He was the first Chilean player to win the PGA Tour at The Greenbrier 2019.Niemann, who finished in the top 10 this season, said, "Everybody's going have their moment, and mine was pretty early."Bryson de Chambeau, the current champion, missed the cut and fled Detroit without speaking with reporters. He didn't answer any questions regarding a caddie change made on the eve.DeChambeau wrote, "Didn't have my best week, but that's golf sometimes,"
