Merritt’s record-61 sets mark
Shares National lead at 14 under with Chappell
Troy Merritt couldn’t miss Saturday in the Quicken Loans National. Tiger Woods couldn’t make anything.
Merritt shot a tournamentrecord 10-under 61 to top the leader board even before the leading contenders teed off. It held up, too, as several players made runs at joining him at 14 under, but only Kevin Chappell, another veteran seeking a breakthrough victory, didn’t fade in the searing heat at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va.
Chappell had a 67. Rickie Fowler (68) was a stroke back, and Jason Bohn (67), Whee Kim (67), Charles Howell III (67) and David Lingmerth (68) followed at 12 under.
Woods, who seemed to signal a return to contending golf Friday with a 66 that moved him within three strokes of the lead, was errant off the tee early and had several birdie putts slide by the hole.
While Merritt had 11 birdies and a bogey on the par-5 eighth, Woods didn’t make his first birdie until a 17-foot putt dropped on the par-4 15th. He hit his tee shot on the 187-yard 16th to inches, flashing a huge smile on the tee box, and then made a bogey at the par-4 18th to finish with a 74. He will start today nine shots back.
“I was waiting for the one moment, the one shot. I couldn’t find it,” Woods said, adding that after starting with seven consecutive pars, he thought it might come at the par-5 eighth when his tee shot finally found the fairway.
Instead, his 3-wood approach sailed over the green and he made a bogey.
Merritt had long since finished and went into the final round as the leader for the second time this season. He had the lead to himself after the second and third rounds of the RBC Heritage, but finished third.
Merritt had missed five consecutive cuts coming into the week.
“The big thing is we put ourselves into contention for [Sunday] and that was the goal,” he said. “I wanted to have a good week this week and I’ve been taking weekends off for two months now.”
Chappell wasn’t as spectacular, but started the day tied for third and more than kept pace with the field.
“You know, I’ve done a really good job of functioning this week,” he said. “‘That’s the grass. That’s the sky. That’s the hole. That’s my ball.‘ Shoot the lowest score tomorrow and I win the golf tournament.”
Fowler, starting in the group ahead of the final two, already has won The Players Championship and the Scottish Open this year and hopes to give the leaders something to think about as quickly as possible.
“I’m looking forward to being out in front and making some noise, see if we can chase the guys down early ... ,” he said.
Charles Howell III, playing with Woods, followed his near-ace at 16 by knocking his tee shot to just inches, giving them both tap-in birdies, but with larger implications for Howell; the 15-year pro is seeking his first victory since 2007.
Other tournaments
3M Championship: Defending champion Kenny Perry had a hole in one and matched the tournament record with an 11-under 61 to take a four-stroke lead in this Champions Tour’s event in Blaine, Minn. Perry played the first eight holes in 7 under, making the ace on the 188yard fourth hole, and had two birdies on the back nine and closed with an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th. Perry had a 14-under 130 total at TPC Twin Cities. Kevin Sutherland (65) and Scott Dunlap (67) were tied for second. Sutherland had a 65, and Dunlap shot 67. Minnesota native Tom Lehman, the firstround leader after a 64, had a 71 to drop into a tie for fourth at 9 under.
Paul Lawrie Match Play: Scotland’s Marc Warren holed out from 59 yards for eagle on the 19th hole to beat England’s Tyrrell Hatton in the quarterfinals in Aberdeen, Scotland. Warren was 3 down after five holes and needed on-course treatment by the European Tour physio for a back problem. Hatton chipped in for birdie on No. 18 at to force extra holes. Warren will face Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat in the semifinals. Aphibarnrat beat Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey, 2 and 1. In the other quarterfinals, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson beat Scotland’s Richie Ramsay, 1 up, and England’s David Howell topped countryman Chris Wood, 5 and 4.
Madeira Islands Open: Sweden’s Pontus Widegren had two eagles and shot a 5under 67 to take a one-stroke lead in Santo da Serra. Widegren had a 16-under 200 total. Finland’s Roope Kakko (64) and Scotland’s Scott Henry (65) were tied for second.