Matsuyama, Stroud keep Kisner on his toes
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Final day race hots up as overnight leader just one stroke ahead
Unheralded American Kevin Kisner clung to a onestroke lead after Saturday’s roller coaster third round of the PGA Championship, where contenders rose only to be humbled by formidable Quail Hollow.
Kisner, a winner three months ago at Colonial, dropped three strokes in the last three holes but finished with a oneover par 72 to stand on seven-under 206 for 54 holes at the year’s final major tournament.
World number three Hideki Matsuyama, trying to become the first Japanese man to win a major, shot 73 to share second on 207 with American Chris Stroud, who won last week in Reno to take the last spot in the PGA field. “I’m disappointed in the way I played,” Matsuyama said. “However, I’m happy to just to be one stroke back and still have a chance and looking forward to tomorrow.”
Matsuyama took a World Golf Championships victory last week at Akron and was second at the US Open in June, one of six top-10 finishes in 20 major appearances.
Only 15 players cracked par for three rounds at the 7,600-yard layout, setting the stage for a dramatic Sunday showdown for the Wanamaker Trophy and a top prize of $1.89 million (1.59 million euros).
Kisner birdied 14 and 15 for a two-stroke lead but found water on his approach at 16 and lippedout a 30-foot putt to make double bogey. At 18, Kisner’s approach bounced off a rock in a water hazard and landed in deep rough. He chipped across the green and two-putted for bogey to stay in front. “Just a terrible finish. I’m kicking myself over that,” Kisner said. “A lot of burning putts that went off the edges. Hopefully they will fall tomorrow.”
Kisner, ranked 25th, needed 109 tries before winning his first US PGA Tour title in 2015 at Sea Island, Georgia.
Matsuyama opened with a bogey, answered with a birdie at the par-5 seventh, but stumbled with back-to-back bogeys at 12 and the par-3 13th.
“Probably the pressure had something to do with it, being in the last group of a major tournament,” Matsuyama said. “But I haven’t been spot on all week. And the worries that I had about my swing showed up today in the way I played.”
Stroud, saying “I’m as calm as I’ve ever been,” shocked himself to make the final group with a 71 despite a bogey-bogey finish.
“Really didn’t do anything great but I didn’t do anything bad,” he said. “I’m still right there. I still have a chance.”
Justin Thomas, the 14thranked American with three US PGA victories this season, fired a 69, the only sub-par round among the last dozen players, to share fourth with Louis Oosthuizen just two strokes adrift.
Anirban Lahiri slipped from tied 43rd to joint 68th by the end of the third day of the prestigious PGA Championships at Quail Hollow.
Lahiri shot five-over 76 with a total of eight-over 221. Lahiri missed a bunch of putts and messed up a couple of chips.
Lahiri said, “I would be putting things mildly if I said I was only disappointed. It was one of those days, when nothing went my way. I missed a lot of putts, including two very small ones.”
UP Yoddha and Patna Pirates played out a thrilling 27-27 draw in the Pro Kabaddi League here. In the second match of the day, Gujarat Fortunegiants beat Jaipur Pink Panthers 27-20.
With the win, Gujarat Fortunegiants continue to lead the table with 23 points from six matches. Puneri Paltan are second with 11 points and U Mumba third with 10 points.
The Indian men’s hockey team beat the Netherlands 4-3 in the Robo Super Series, part of India’s tour of Europe on Sunday. A brace by Manpreet Singh (30th, 44th), Varun Kumar’s 17th minute goal and Harjeet Singh’s 49th minute strike helped India beat the Dutch. For the Dutch, Mink van der Weerden scored the first goal and Bob de Voogd scored a brace.