Wise all even at Byron Nelson
The wind finally blew on the new Trinity Forest course at the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Aaron Wise wasn’t rattled, not even by a bogey that dropped him into a tie for the lead on the final hole yesterday. Now the 21-year-old PGA Tour rookie is ready for another run at his first victory.
Wise shot a 3-under 68 to pull even with Marc Leishman, 4 shots ahead of Matt Jones and Kevin Na going into the final round.
It’s not the first time Wise has been in this position, though. Two weeks ago, he finished tied for second at the Wells Fargo Championship, 2 shots behind Jason Day.
Besides, Wise has won at every level — including the 2016 NCAA individual title while helping Oregon win the team championship just before turning pro. He was the first player in eight years to pull that NCAA double.
“There’s a little more pressure on it because there’s more people and it’s a bigger scene, but I felt like I did a great job of handling all that at Quail Hollow,” Wise said. “Being my second chance at it, I feel like it’s only going to be better than that.”
Leishman shot 69 after setting a 36-hole tournament record previously shared by Tiger Woods. The 34-year-old Australian had a career-best 61 in the opening round.
Hometown star Jordan Spieth couldn’t make a move from 8 shots back, shooting par 71 and falling 10 strokes behind.
Miguel makes move
Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a 6-under 66 to take a 3-stroke lead into the final round of the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Ala.
Jimenez birdied the final hole to reach 17-under 199 at Greystone Golf & Country Club, matching
Gil Morgan’s 54-hole Tradition record set in 1997.
Steve Stricker was second in the first of five PGA Tour Champions majors.
Jimenez has six top-five finishes in senior majors but is seeking his first victory. The Spaniard has four PGA Tour Champions titles.
Jimenez got his fourth birdie over the final nine holes on No. 18 after caroming his approach shot off the grandstands and back to about 15 feet from the hole. That set up a 2-putt for birdie.
Stricker eagled the par-4 eighth in a 65. He estimated his eagle was about 158 yards with a 9-iron, and he didn’t get to watch it go in.
Kevin Sutherland, Joe Durant and Gene Sauers were 4 shots back. Durant shot 67, Sutherland 68, and Sauers 70.
Sauers had shared the second-round lead with Jimenez. He was a shot back before a double bogey on No. 15 when his approach shot went into the woods right of the fairway and he wound up 3-putting.
Sauers had opened with his first bogey of the tournament on No. 1 but then started a run of five straight birdies on the 10th hole.
Durant closed with his second eagle of the round on No. 18.
Rain, rain go away
Heavy rain forced postponement of play at the LPGA’s Kingsmill Championship in Williamsburg, Va., and the tournament has been reduced to 54 holes.
Sixty players failed to finish the second round. They will do that beginning at 7:30 a.m. today.
In Gee Chun leads among players who have finished two rounds. She is at 11-under, with Austin Ernst and Nasa Hataoka 1 shot back.