Finau leads Mexico Open
Rahm makes charge with a 61
Tony Finau had a terrific stretch at the Mexico Open on Saturday, posting five birdies over his last seven holes for a 6under-par 65 that gave him a two-shot lead over Masters champion Jon Rahm and 21year-old Akshay Bhatia.
Rahm, the defending champion, matched his lowest round on the PGA Tour with a 61. He started the third round six shots behind and at one point took a one-shot lead until Finau rallied at the end.
Bhatia also finished with a flourish, hitting his second shot to 8 feet on the par-5 18th hole at Vallarta Vidanta for an eagle and a 63.
Rahm had enough mistakes over the previous two rounds to put himself in a hole. Saturday was not one of those days. He missed only one green, and four of his 10 birdies were putts from about 25 feet or longer.
“If I putt as good as I did today, I’ll definitely give myself a chance,” Rahm said.
Finau was at 19-under 194 as he goes for his second victory this season, and his fourth PGA Tour title in the last nine months.
As Rahm was making a charge on the back with three straight birdies, Finau answered with a tough pitch from short of the par-5 12th hole for birdie. After a tee shot went long on the par-3 13th, he hit a lofted pitch that rolled in for birdie, and followed with a bold 3-iron to about 12 feet on the par-5 14th for a two-putt birdie.
His only blemish was a threeputt from the fringe on the par-3 17 th, but he answered with a final birdie to take a two-shot shot cushion into the final round.
Finau didn’t see a leaderboard until early on the back nine. That was his first indication that Rahm was making a big charge.
“I think it definitely got my juices going a little bit and was able to make a few birdies coming in to stay in front of him,” Finau said.
LIV — Sergio Garcia recalled one of his happy times at Sentosa Golf Club to shoot a 7-under 64 and move into a share of the second-round lead with Talor Gooch at the LIV Singapore tournament.
Garcia and Gooch, who birdied his last two holes for a 65, had 36-hole totals of 13-under 129. Gooch won last week’s LIV tournament in Australia, and was the first-round leader by a stroke in Singapore after a 64.
Brooks Koepka (65 Saturday) was in third place, a stroke behind Garcia and Gooch. Open champion Cameron Smith was in a three-way tie for fourth place after a 66, two behind the leaders.
Phil Mickelson, who shot a second straight 66, was in seventh place and three strokes behind. Mickelson birdied four of his first five holes, but had two late bogeys.
Garcia, who won the Singapore Open at Sentosa in 2018 and was playing with Gooch, birdied three of his final four holes.
LPGA — Cheyenne Knightleads the JM Eagle LA Championship by two shots at 9-under par.Ryu Hae-ran and Hannah Greenare two back at Wilshire Country Club.
Champions — Steven Alker shot a 3-under 69 and leads the Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands Country Club at 9 under, three shots ahead of Ernie Els.
DP World Tour — Robert MacIntyre held the clubhouse lead when the Korea Championship was suspended because of fading light. MacIntyre produced a string of good wedge shots in a 3-under 69 at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club. He is tied atop the leaderboard at 8 under with Pablo Larrazábal, who had two holes to complete.