Poston’s eagle atones for bogeys at Deere

SILVIS, Ill. — J.T. Poston made up for two back-nine bogeys with an eagle on the par-5 17th, shooting a 4-under 67 on Saturday to take a threestroke lead into the final round of the John Deere Classic.

Trying to complete a wire-to-wire victory after tying for second last week in the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, Poston made a 13½-foot eagle putt on 17.

“That was huge kind of going into tomorrow,” Poston said about the eagle. “I wasn’t quite as sharp today off the tee and had to play a little defensive into some of the greens. Nice to put two good swings on there and make that putt to kind of capitalize and get some ground back that I had lost.”

He had a 19-under 194 total at TPC Deere Run.

Playing partner Denny McCarthy birdied the final two holes for a 66 to join Scott Stallings (64) and Emiliano Grillo (65)

at 16 under.

“Was nice to finish that way,” McCarthy said. “Nice to make a putt on 18. Nice to see something go in going into tomorrow. It’s a good feeling to kind of feel like I got something out of round, birdieing the last

two.”

Poston opened with rounds of 62 and 65 to take a four-stroke lead, then played the front nine in 3 under Saturday with birdies on Nos. 2, 5 and 8. He dropped a stroke on the par-3 12th, birdied the par-4 14th

and bogeyed the par-4 15th before making the big putt on 17.

From Hickory, N.C., the 29-year-old Poston won the 2019 Wyndham Championship for his lone PGA Tour title.

“Just trying to stay patient and composed,”

Poston said. “I’m not trying to get too ahead of myself. Just trying to take it one hole at a time. Being in this position,

I’m trying to focus especially on the shot in front of me and do the best I can and go from there.”

Stalling birdied Nos. 15-17.

“Look forward to the opportunity.” Stallings said. “Today was a big step in the right direction to tomorrow.”

Grillo birdied four of the last five.

“Everybody is in the same situation,” Grillo said. “Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to make the most out of it. Definitely going to be a tough battle tomorrow.”

Iowa native Zach Johnson, the 2012 winner, was 8 under after a 67 in his 20th consecutive start in the event. He also eagled 17.

Meronk leads Irish Open by 1

Adrian Meronk will take a narrow lead into the final round of the

Irish Open as he bids to become the first Polish winner in the history of the European tour.

Meronk, who has three top-three finishes this season, carded a third round of 4-under 68 at Mount Juliet to edge in front on a crowded leaderboard on Saturday. The top 14 players are separated by four shots.

At 14 under par, Meronk is one shot ahead of England’s Jack Senior, Spain’s Jorge Campillo and Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti. Another stroke back are 2020 winner John Catlin and Espen Kofstad following matching rounds of 65.

Meronk’s round included three bogeys and seven birdies, including three straight from the 15th.

Defending champion Lucas Herbert was three shots off the lead on 11 under.

Scotland’s David Law and the English quartet of Aaron Rai, Matthew Southgate, Dale Whitnell and James Morrison were at 10 under.

Dylan Buell/Getty Images J.T. Poston plays a shot on No. 15 during the third round of the John Deere Classic on Saturday. Poston leads by three strokes going into the final round.