San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Merritt, Niemann share lead in Detroit
Troy Merritt took off his cap and briefly bowed his head to acknowledge a roaring crowd after the first ace of his PGA Tour career.
He didn’t get to enjoy the moment for long.
Merritt’s holeinone gave him a threeshot lead, but he gave a stroke back on the next hole with a bogey and shot a 5underpar 67 on Saturday. Joaquin Niemann took advantage of the opening to share the thirdround lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Niemann, who shared the 36hole lead with Tom Lewis, pulled into a tie by twoputting from 46 feet at 17. He parred the final hole, the toughest one on Detroit Golf Club, for a 68.
Hank Lebioda (66) and Cam Davis (67) were a stroke back, and Brandon Hagy (68) was another shot behind. Lewis (71) was among six players three shots back with a legitimate shot on the relatively short course with receptive greens.
“The mindset will be make a few birdies, but don’t give any away,”
Merritt said. “Make them work to come and get us and hopefully it’s good enough in the end.”
Rickie Fowler (68) was in a pack of 10 five shots back, while firstrounder leader Davis Thompson (72) was six shots back. After opening with a courserecord tying 63, Thompson has played the past 36 holes in 1over with rounds of 73 and 72
Merritt, 35, made his first holeinone on the PGA Tour from 219 yards with a 5iron off one bounce. World No. 2 Jin Young Ko chipped in for eagle on the par4 15th and finished a bogeyfree 32hole Saturday in near darkness with a onestroke lead in the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Classic at The Colony, Texas.
South Korea’s Ko played the final 14 holes for a 1under 70 in the suspended second round, then shot 66 in the third round for a 14under 199 total. Germany’s Esther Henseleit (64) and Finland’s Matilda Castren (68) were tied for second. Castren won the LPGA Mediheal Championship three weeks ago at foggy Lake Merced to become the first Finnish winner in LPGA Tour history. Ernie Els opened a threestroke lead over Cameron Beckman in the PGA Tour Champions’ Dick’s Sporting Goods Open at Endicott, N.Y., reeling off five straight birdies on the front nine in a 7under 65.
Els birdied Nos. 26 at windy and rainy EnJoie Golf Club, added another on the par4 ninth, made eight straight pars and closed the bogeyfree round with a 15foot birdie putt on the par4 18th to get to 11under 133.