Cantlay, Laird share lead going into final shootout in Vegas

LAS VEGAS » Tied for the lead going into the weekend, Patrick Cantlay already was four shots behind before he hit his opening tee shot Saturday in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

That didn’t bother him in the least. He knows what to expect at the TPC Summerlin.

When the third round ended, Cantlay and Martin Laird each had a 6-under 65 without making it look terribly special and were tied for the lead. Both got their first PGA Tour victory at this tournament. Both have lost in a playoff. Both have played it enough times to realize birdie opportunities are there for everyone.

U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau was among the exceptions. He had a pair of double bogeys and back-to-back bogeys, all before he reached the seventh hole. At that point he was 5 over in a five-hole stretch, which he said felt more like 12 over on a course like the TPC Sumerlin. He rallied enough for a 71, though he was seven shots behind and had

30 players in front of him.

Those 30 players ahead of him starts with Cantlay and Laird at

20-under 193.

Clarke, Monty, Austin tied

CARY, N.C. » Darren Clarke, Colin Montgomerie and Woody Austin topped the SAS Championship leaderboard at 9 under, leaving Jim Furyk three strokes back in his bid to become the first player to win his first three PGA Tour Champions events.

Clarke had a 6-under 66, Montgomerie shot 67 and Austin 69. Charles Schwab Cup leader Bernhard Langer (66), Vijay Singh (66) and David Toms (67) were a stroke back.