D.J., Potter share Pebble Beach lead
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Dustin Johnson overcame a sloppy back nine in the stiffening breeze by making a 10-foot birdie on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links. It gave him a 2-under-par 70 and a share of the lead going into the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Given the conditions, his third-round score felt like hard work.
Meanwhile, Ted Potter Jr. shot a 62 at Monterey Peninsula and left wondering how much better it could have been. Potter, with virtually no one watching his round because the stars were at Pebble on Saturday, was 11 under with three holes to play, needing only one birdie and two pars for a 59.
He bogeyed the last two holes, which at least was enough to tie for the lead.
“I didn’t feel like I hit bad shots coming in there on the last couple, making bogeys there, but I just knew it was going to be tough coming in,” Potter said.
They were at 14-under 201, and with more wind in the forecast — compared with virtually none the first two days — the final round could be wide open.
Johnson, playing for the first time since winning by eight shots at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in early January, is virtually assured of being only the fifth player since the World Golf Ranking began in 1986 to be No. 1 for an entire year.
Jason Day, coming off a playoff victory two weeks ago in the Farmers Insurance Open, had a 69 at Pebble Beach and was two shots behind along with Troy Merritt, who had the lead until four bogeys over his last six holes at Monterey Peninsula for a 69.
Jon Rahm birdied his last three holes at Spyglass Hill and worked his way back into contention with a 70. He was in a group at 11 under that included 50-year-old Steve Stricker (70) and Patrick Rodgers (69).
Also in the mix was Phil Mickelson, though he made it harder on himself with a threeputt bogey on the 18th at Pebble Beach for a 72. Mickelson had gone 46 consecutive holes without a bogey, though he managed only one birdie Saturday.
Chattanooga’s Stephan Jaeger was tied for 17th at 7 under after a 69 at Monterey Peninsula. Keith Mitchell, another former Baylor School standout, made the cut of 3 under on the number after a 72 at Pebble Beach, where everyone left in the field will play in the final round.
Rory McIlroy’s debut in this tournament won’t make it to that point. He hit into the ocean with an iron on the par-5 sixth hole Saturday, leading to bogey. He finished with a drive that bounced along the rocks left of the 18th hole, though he took his penalty drop, hit the pin with his third shot and finished with a birdie.
No matter. He still managed only a 72 and missed the cut by two shots.
Calcavecchia holds
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Mark Calcavecchia birdied the last three holes of his second round at the Boca Raton Championship and took a two-stroke lead over Bernhard Langer into the final round of the PGA Tour Champions’ first full-field event of 2018.
Calcavecchia shot a 6-under 66 at The Old Course at Broken Sound, rebounding from bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15 with the late birdie run. He made a 25-footer on the par-4 17th and set up a three-foot putt on the par-5 18th with a chip after leaving an approach from the right pine straw to the right of the green.
Langer — a 60-year-old who had seven wins, including three majors, on the 50-and-older tour last year — had his second straight 66. Calcavecchia, 57, was at 14-under 130 overall as he led for the second straight day.
Bart Bryant had a 64 to match Jerry Smith (67) at 10 under, while Michael Allen (68), Paul Broadhurst (66) and Steve Flesch (68) were at 9 under.
Super 6 down to 24
PERTH, Australia — Prom Meesawat shot a 5-under 57 for a two-stroke lead after three rounds at the World Super 6, while Brett Rumford and Lee Westwood went from a tie for first to out of the tournament.
Prom had a three-round total of 12-under 204 at Lake Karrinyup Country Club, with Sean Crocker (67), Lucas Herbert (69) and Thorbjorn Olesen (69) tied for second.
Second-round co-leaders Rumford and Westwood shot 78s that kept them out of the top 24 who qualified for the final round, which will feature six-hole shootouts in match play. The event is sanctioned by three tours: European, Asian and PGA of Australia.