Ancer ahead by 1 shot at TPC Boston
NORTON, Mass. — Abraham Ancer of Mexico opened with three straight birdies on his way to a 6-under 65 to take a oneshot lead Sunday over a familiar figure going into today’s final round of the Dell Technologies Championship.
It wasn’t Tiger Woods, but the guy playing with him — Bryson DeChambeau, who is coming off a four-shot victory in the first FedEx Cup playoff event and shot 63 while playing with Woods for the first time in a tournament. DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton (69) were one shot behind.
It figures to be another frantic Labor Day finish on the TPC Boston. Ancer, at No. 92 in the FedEx Cup just hopeful of getting into the top 70 to advance to the playoff event next week outside Philadelphia, was at 13-under 200.
A victory would assure a trip to the Tour Championship and a spot in the Masters.
“I just know to win I’ve got to play good,” Ancer said. “There’s no way if you play sloppy you’re going to win out here. So I know I have to put up a good score out there tomorrow. And I know if I follow my game plan and make some putts, that could happen.”
Ten players were within four shots of the lead, a group that included Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Woods had to settle for a 69 that left him in a tie for 16th, six shots behind.
At least he saw plenty of good golf. DeChambeau has become of his regular practice partners, though they had never been in the same group until Sunday.
DeChambeau opened with two birdies and finished even stronger, with short birdie putts on the 16th and 17th, and then a 5-iron from 237 yards that stopped rolling 2 feet from the hole for an eagle.
Not since Vijay Singh in 2008 has anyone captured the opening two FedEx Cup events.
DeChambeau led by four shots at Ridgewood last week and never was seriously challenged. This time, the 24-year-old Californian will have to come from one shot behind against a 27-year-old playing in only his 49th PGA Tour event.
CALGARY, Alberta — Scott McCarron had a onehop ace on the par-3 14th and closed with a birdieto successfully defend his Shaw Charity Classic title.
McCarron shot a 7-under 63 for a one-stroke victory over Scott Parel, Joe Durant and Kirk Triplett at Canyon Meadows. The 53-year-old McCarron has seven PGA Tour Champions victories, also winning in Madison, Wis., in June after winning three times on the PGA Tour.
McCarron finished at 15-under 195. He birdied five of the first 13 holes, then had the hole-in-one on the 154-yard 14th with a 9-iron. He had a bogey on the par-4 15th, birdied the par-3 16th and bogeyed the par-4 17th.
On the par-5 18th, he found the left side of the fairway with a long drive and hit a 5-iron approach from 209 yards to 30 feet left of the hole to set up the winning two-putt birdie.
Durant, the secondround leader after a 63, shot 67. He bogeyed the 13th, 15th and 17th — missing a 1-foot putt on the par-4 17th — and birdied the par-5 18th. Parel, the Boeing Classic winner last week in Washington, birdied the last for a 62.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Marina Alex rallied to win the Cambia Portland Classic for her first LPGA Tour title, closing with a 7-under 65 on Sunday for a fourstroke victory over Georgia Hall. Alex birdied the final five holes in a front-nine 30 to take the lead and added birdies on the par-5 12th and par-4 15th at tree-lined Columbia Edgewater.