Rookie Knapp gets hot, takes lead at Mexico Open
PGA Tour rookie Jake Knapp ran off 11 birdies Saturday and seized control of the Mexico Open at Vidanta with an 8-under 63, giving him a four-shot lead going into the final round with a spot in the Masters on the line.
Knapp began the third round in a four-way share of the lead.
He wasted no time making himself the target. Knapp, a 29-year-old from UCLA, stuffed his opening shot into 2 feet and the next one to 4 feet for a birdie-birdie start. Turns out he was just getting warmed up. He closed out the front nine with five birdies over the last six holes for a 28, and no one got closer to him than three shots the rest of the way.
Sami Valimaki lost momentum on the back nine until finishing with birdie from the collar of the green on the par-5 18th for a 67, leaving him four back.
Ben Silverman (63), Henrik Norlander (65) and Chan Kim (66) are tied for third, seven shots behind.
PGA Tour Champions
Ricardo Gonzalez ran off four straight birdies on the back nine and closed with a 3-under 70 for a one-shot victory in the Trophy Hassan II, giving him membership on the PGA Tour Champions for the first time.
Gonzalez got into the field — the only PGA Tour Champions event outside North America except for the Senior British Open — by finishing among the top four on the European Legends Tour last season. He made it pay off in a big way.
His birdie streak began at the 13th hole, and two closing pars gave him a one-shot victory over Thomas Bjorn (69), who needed birdie on the par-5 closing hole to force a playoff.
Y.E. Yang, who shared the 36hole lead with Gonzalez, had a 73 and tied for third with Mark Hensby (71).
Two-time major champion Angel Cabrera, in his first Champions event since he was released from two years in prison for gender violence, shot 70 and tied for 27th.
LPGA Tour
Local favorite Patty Tavatanakit shot a 6-under 66 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA Thailand tournament.
Tavatanakit had a threeround total of 16-under 200 on the Siam Country Club Old Course at Chonburi southeast of Bangkok.
Madelene Sagstrom shot 69 and was in second place while Hye Jin-choi and Emily Kristine Pedersen shot 65s and were tied for third with Hyo Joo-kim, who had a 69.
DP World Tour
Manuel Elvira moved into contention to join older brother Nacho as a European tour winner by taking a share of the lead at the Kenya Open after the third round.
The younger Elvira shot 4-under 67 and was tied for first place on 10 under overall with Darius Van Driel (68), who had led the tournament after the first round and was in a threeway tie for first place after the second round.
The 37-year-old Nacho is three strokes off the lead, in a tie for sixth after a 68.
The leading pair was two shots clear of Connor Syme (70), Joe Dean (68) and Ryan van Velzen (67), who were in a tie for third place.