Bae, Day battle in N.J.
Military awaits, but South Korean leads
Bae Sang-moon is making the most of his final weeks before he starts mandatory military service in South Korea.
Bae matched shots with PGA champion Jason Day throughout the third round of The Barclays yesterday until both finished at
7-under-par 63 and tied for the lead going into the final round in Edison, N.J.
They were at 11-under 199, one shot ahead of Bubba Watson.
Suddenly, the opening Fed Ex Cup playoff event is loaded with significance beyond the $10 million bonus at the end of this four tournament series.
Two shots behind going into the final round was Ryan Palmer, playing for the first time since his father died last week in a traffic accident in West Texas. Palmer has not had a top 10 since May.
Day, just like he did on the par 5s at Whistling Straits when he won his first major two weeks ago, cracked a 343-yard drive down the middle on the 601-yard 16th hole, and then hit a 4-iron to 18 feet and holed it for eagle to tie for the lead.
Day and Bae traded bogeys from the rough on the 17th, and both got upand-down for birdie on the reachable 18th.
A victory by the 27-yearold Australian would be his fourth win of the year, tying him with Jordan Spieth for most on the PGA Tour this year, and allow him to join the race for No. 1 going into the final month of the tour season.
Still, Bae might have the most at stake.
He had been able to avoid his mandatory two-year military service through his PGA Tour career until it was determined that he spent too much time in South Korea last year. The 29-year-old appealed the decision, and the military courts ruled a month ago that he had to serve.
Bae remains in America to finish out the FedEx Cup. A victory would move him to No. 7 in the Presidents Cup standings and assure him a spot on the International team, but he might not be allowed to compete in the event — to be played Oct. 8-11 in South Korea — before the military service begins.
Weather delays LPGA
Austin Ernst took the lead at 10-under in Prattville, Ala., before darkness forced the suspension of third-round play in the weather-delayed Yokohama LPGA Tire Classic.
Ernest was 1-under through four holes after waiting out a five-hour delay for rain and lightning on the links-style Senator Course. She passed second-round leader Yani Tseng, who had a bogey on the fourth hole to drop to 9-under.
Players are expected to remain in the same groups for their early morning starts today, trying to complete the 72-hole tournament. . . .
Canadian Rod Spittle shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Champions Tour’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, N.Y.
The 60-year-old Spittle was at 10-under 134, a shot ahead of Scott McCarron (64) and John Huston (68). Huston, the 2011 champion, is trying to become the first two-time winner in the event that started in 2007. . . .
Belgium’s Thomas Pieters shot a 7-under 65 after being penalized for hitting the wrong ball, leaving him with a one-stroke lead in the Czech Masters. Sweden’s Pelle Edberg was second after a 67.