ROUGH & TOUGH
Lingmerth still leads despite difficult day
POTOMAC, Md. — David Lingmerth waved his arm disgustedly to the right to warn the gallery after he blocked his tee shot on the tight par-5 10th hole at TPC Potomac.
After two shots from the rough, one from a hazard and one from a bunker, he made a six-foot put for bogey to fall to 3 over for the day. He was still tied for the lead, though — and minutes later, he led by himself again when Daniel Summerhays made bogey on No. 11.
It was that kind of day at the Quicken Loans National.
Lingmerth steadied himself after his adventure on the 10th and made an aggressive swing with a driver that came off perfectly on the short par-4 14th, leading to a two-putt birdie. The 29-year-old Swede made a sloppy bogey on No. 17 and managed a 3-over 73 to drop to 7 under and maintain a one-shot advantage over Summerhays.
Spencer Levin, who teed off two hours ahead of Lingmerth, was alone in third at 5 under after the best round of the day, a 65.
There was little wind Saturday, and the greens were softened by a thunderstorm that caused a 90-minute delay, but the course played as difficult as ever, showing as much bite as its storied neighbor, Congressional Country Club. And yet Saturday ended the same way the first two rounds did — with Lingmerth atop the leaderboard.
Lingmerth, who came from behind to win a Web.com Tour event at TPC Potomac in 2012, has a chance to go wire-to-wire for his second PGA Tour victory.
“I haven’t had the wire-to-wire scenario in my career, but a lot of great players have won tournaments that way, and I would like to do it as well,” he said. “I’m kind of feeling like I’m up for the challenge.”
Lingmerth relied on a fade to avoid trouble off the tee while starting the tournament with back-to-back rounds of 65. On Saturday, it didn’t take long for his go-to shot to abandon him. He yanked his opening tee shot into a fairway bunker, leading to bogey. It was one of four tee shots he missed to the left in the first eight holes, including a drive into the water on the narrow par-4 fourth.
Still, no one managed to get ahead. Geoff Ogilvy’s putter went cold, and he didn’t make a birdie in a round of 74. He was still just three shots back, along with a fellow Australian half his age, Curtis Luck, who shot 67, and South Korea’s Sung Kang, who shot 71. Kyle Stanley and Charles Howell III each shot a 67 and were four shots back.
Baylor School graduate Harris English (72) was tied for 12th at 1-under 209. Just 17 players were under par after three rounds.
Triplett leads senior open
PEABODY, Mass. — Kirk Triplett shot a 4-under 66 to open a one-stroke lead after three rounds of the U.S. Senior Open.
Triplett improved to 15 under heading into the final round at the Donald Ross-designed course at Salem Country Club. He watched as Kenny Perry three-putted the 18th hole to fall one stroke back in the United States Golf Association and PGA Tour Champions event.
Brandt Jobe matched the tournament record with a 62, shooting 29 on the back nine to move into third. But he was six strokes behind the leader.
Fred Couples and Tom Lehman were fourth at 7 under after each shot a 70.
Choi, kang tied
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. — Chella Choi shot a 4-under 67 for a share of the lead with Danielle Kang heading into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Kang made birdie on the par-5 18th at Olympia Fields Country Club to shoot a 68 and join Choi at 10 under. Each is looking for her first major victory.
Jiyai Shin rocketed up the leaderboard with a 64, the best round of the day and good enough for third at 8 under. Brooke Henderson, the tournament’s 2016 champion, was another stroke back after a 69.
Kang and Sei Young Kim were tied for the lead after the second round. While Kim stumbled to a 72, the 24-year-old Kang made five birdies to help offset two bogeys. Choi, 26, had four birdies and no bogeys.
axley in 11th in nashville
Conrad Shindler held on to a onestroke lead for the second straight day at the Web.com Tour’s Nashville Golf Open despite a hard charge by Lanto Griffin.
Shindler’s 2-under 70 in the third round had him at 13-under 203 after 54 holes, and Griffin’s 62 left him one stroke behind, along with Adam Schenk (68). Griffin had no bogeys, seven birdies and an eagle on the par-5 18th hole at Nashville Golf & Athletic Club.
Shindler has led at the end of each of the first three rounds. His opening 62 gave him a four-stroke advantage.
Athens, Tenn., native Eric Axley (71) was part of the crowd tied for 11th at 9 under entering the final round, while former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga golfer Jonathan Hodge (68) shared 30th at 6 under.
Chattanooga’s Stephan Jaeger (76), the tour’s money leader, was at par for the tournament and near the back of the pack. Former Baylor School golfer Keith Mitchell (75) was 1 over.
French open up for grabs
GUYANCOURT, France — Alexander Bjork shot a 1-under 70 to share the lead with Peter Uihlein at 8-under 205 after a difficult third round of the French Open.
Bjork moved into contention after making three birdies on the way back to the clubhouse, but that followed two bogeys on the front nine.
Uihlein was consistent but unspectacular, opening with a bogey and canceling that out with a birdie on the 14th hole for a 71 to keep his overnight score. Uihlein has made only two bogeys so far, the lowest he has ever carded through 54 holes at any European Tour event.
Tommy Fleetwood (71), Thomas Pieters (69) and Andy Sullivan (68) were a stroke behind the co-leaders.