Tavatanakit opens 5-shot lead in hot, windy ANA

Patty Tavatanakit opened a five-stroke lead on another hot and windy afternoon at the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, Calif., all but crushing her challengers’ hopes with a striking combination of power and touch.

A stroke ahead after each of the first two rounds at Mission Hills, the 21-year-old Thai player shot a 5-under 67 in 100-degree heat Saturday to reach 14-under 202 in the first major championship of the year.

Tavatanakit matched the tournament 54-hole record set by Pernilla Lindberg in her 2018 victory. Dottie Pepper set the overall mark of 19 under in 1999.

Defending champion Mirim Lee and Ally Ewing were second at 9 under in the event being played without spectators for the second time in seven months.

Tavatanakit crushed drives — hitting a 337-yarder on the par-5 11th — and was equally as effective on and around the greens. The former UCLA star birdied the first three holes, holing a 20-footer on the par-4 third. She holed a 12-footer for birdie on the par-5 ninth after hitting her second into a greenside bunker, and made a 15-footer on 11 to open a five-stroke lead.

Spieth, Wallace lead PGA: At San Antonio, Jordan Spieth shot a 5-under 67 to move into a tie for the lead heading into the final round of the Valero Texas Open.

Spieth and Englishman Matt Wallace are at 12 under after each player birdied their final two holes of the day. Wallace also posted a 67, and Charley Hoffman is alone in third at 10 under after shooting a 65.

Hoffman was seven shots back after a bogey at No. 4, but he finished up with six birdies and sank a five-foot eagle putt at the 14th. He won here five years ago.

Three consecutive bogeys early on the back nine sent second-round leader Cameron Tringale to a 1-over 73 that put him at 8 under for the tournament. India’s Anirban Lahiri is at 7 under after a 69.

Teen wins Augusta Amateur: At Augusta, Ga., the one image of Augusta National that stuck with Japanese teenager Tsubasa Kajitani was Tiger Woods winning the Masters two years ago. She celebrated a big victory of her own Saturday, minus the green jacket.

And just like the 2019 Masters she remembers so well, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur had its share of chaos.