J.B. Holmes fending off Doral's Blue Monster and field

DORAL, Fla. – J.B. Holmes has issues with the Blue Monster.

So far, however, through three rounds of the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship, the master blaster from Kentucky is beating the field and the terrifying Blue Monster course at Trump National Doral Miami into submission.

Helps when you begin the tournament with a record-tying 62 on a wind-swept Thursday, which was 11.5 shots better than the field average. The round was so good you have to think that maybe you can win the tournament on the first day, especially on this course that doubles as a roadblock to comebacks.

It helps when you hit drives 350 yards and putt out of your mind. Now toss in an ace from 207 yards on the fourth hole using a 7-iron in Saturday's third round and it's no wonder Holmes, who talks softly and carries a big TaylorMade R15 driver, is in a prime spot to win his first WGC title.

On a wild and at times rainy day – Dustin Johnson also made an ace on the fourth hole with a 7-iron; there were four hole-outs for eagles on other parts of the course, and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy didn't replace the 3-iron he threw into the lake on Friday and played with 13 clubs – Holmes fired a 2-under-par 70 to open up a 5-shot lead.

"I'm not going to change my game plan," Holmes said about his big lead. "Obviously if you're trying to catch up, you have to hit at a few more flags, but that just gets you in trouble out here. So you've just got to be patient and try to make some pars and minimize the big numbers."

Through 13 holes, Holmes looked staggered and desperate and up against the ropes of trouble on the Monster, save for the ace on the fourth. But just when the course and its sharp teeth and troublesome edges seemed to have the upper hand and others at the top of the leaderboard felt they had a chance, Holmes unleashed four consecutive birdies.

Even with a final-hole bogey, he's 11 under and leads Johnson and Bubba Watson by five and Ryan Moore by six.

And he's doing this against the toughest field of the year – the top 50 are at Donald Trump's renovated palace – and on a course he doesn't exactly relish. After Friday's second round, when he hit two perfect shots on the first hole only to see the ball trickle into the water – one of four water balls during his round of 73 – Holmes talked of his displeasure with the opening hole. His thoughts on the first didn't improve on Saturday when he three-putted from 5-feet for a bogey.

"I hit a 350 yard drive and hit a 6 iron straight up in the air, and it landed three feet off the left edge of the green and five feet on it and it goes in the water on the right side of the green," Holmes said of his dealings with the first hole on Friday. "I mean, that's not hard. That's stupid. That's unfair."

But he also said he enjoys the challenge of taking on a difficult course. With his firepower, he's also confident he has an advantage on most of the field.

"You've got to think your way around the golf course, and it's really a ball striker's golf course," he said. "And definitely there's a few holes where you can take advantage of it; if you can get the driver and get it to go over a few bunkers depending on what the wind is, definitely can be an advantage.

"It's a long golf course to start with."

This would be Holmes' fourth PGA Tour title. There was a time it looked as if he would finish his career with just two. After winning in Phoenix in 2006 and 2008, Holmes had brain surgery in 2011 to relieve pressure caused by Chiari malformations at the base of his brain — which are structural defects in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance and can cause problems related to headaches, coordination, dizziness and vision.

Holmes has a quarter-sized chunk of his skill from the surgery at his home.

"I asked for it since I grew it," Holmes once said.

But this win wouldn't mean more than the others, he said, despite the huge paycheck and the years of exemptions coming his way.

"A win's a win, so if that happens tomorrow, then that would be great," he said. "That's what you play out here for. That's what I work really hard to do. But I'm just going to go out tomorrow and control what I control and do my routines and have fun and whatever happens, happens."