Summerhays makes use of Dufner disaster
Daniel Summerhays managed to walk a relatively straight and narrow path at the Memorial, and it took him to an unlikely position going into the final round of the PGA Tour event in Dublin, Ohio.
He started with a fiveshot deficit. He ended with a three-shot lead.
All because the guy next to him Saturday, Jason Dufner, lost his way.
Summerhays dropped only one shot and rarely was out of position on his way to a 4-under-par 68. More than his solid round was the collapse by Dufner. One day after he set the 36-hole scoring record, Dufner shot a 77 and was four shots behind.
“A train wreck can happen at any moment,” Summerhays said in sympathy. “And that’s why it’s such a great golf course because it does test everything. Legitimately from the first hole to the 18th hole, there’s a double bogey somewhere in there.”
Dufner made four straight bogeys on the front nine and lost his five-shot lead in five holes. He hit two balls in the water on the back nine. He missed the putts he had been making for two days.
“Today was pretty pathetic on all accounts, so have to play better tomorrow,” he said.
Summerhays was at 13-under 203. Matt Kuchar, who won the Memorial four years ago, had three consecutive birdies on the back nine and shot a 67. That put him in the final group with Summerhays.
Bubba Watson overcame a heckler on the 18th hole with one last birdie for a 68. He was four shots behind along with Justin Thomas (69) and Dufner. Rickie Fowler (72) salvaged an up-and-down day and was five behind.
Jordan Spieth was right in the mix until catching a downhill lie in the bunker left of the par-3 eighth. He tried to play a perfect shot and barely got it out, then chipped down to 5 feet and missed the putt, making double bogey. Spieth started the back nine with two birdies, but followed with two straight bogeys. He shot 71 and was six shots behind.
Phil Mickelson says he will miss this month’s U.S. Open to attend daughter Amanda’s high school graduation. He has not missed the U.S. Open since 1993. LPGA Tour: Ariya Jutanugarn took the No. 1 spot in the world ranking without hitting a shot, and Paula Creamer and In-Kyung Kim topped the ShopRite LPGA Classic leaderboard in Galloway Township, N.J.
Taking the week off, Jutanugarn replaced Lydia Ko atop the ranking when So Yeon Ryu missed the cut.
Creamer and Kim each shot 4-under 67 to reach 9 under at Stockton Seaview near Atlantic City. European Tour: Chris Wood fired a second straight 5-under 68 for a one-stroke lead over Renato Paratore and Benjamin Hebert after three rounds of the Nordea Masters in Malmo, Sweden.