Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Johnson takes 36-hole lead at rainy Riviera
LOS ANGELES — Dustin Johnson is closing in on that elusive victory at Riviera, and a shot to reach No. 1 in the world.
And he still has a long way to go.
Johnson made two tough pars around the turn and pouted it on late late with three birdies over his last four holes for another 5-under 66 and a one-shot lead in the Genesis Open. It was a good place to be Saturday afternoon, except he was only halfway home at rainy Riviera.
The tournament lost an hour to fog Thursday, then seven hours when heavy rain and wind arrived in southern California on Friday, and two more hours Saturday morning to get the course cleaned up for play.
He was at 10-under 132 and had a one-shot lead over Pat Perez, who birdied his last two holes for a 66, and Cameron Tringale, whose wedge from 82 yards flew straight into the cup on No. 18 for a birdie and a 64.
Jhonattan Vegas finished his second round well before lunch with four pars for a 68. He was in the group at 7-under 135 along with Patrick Rodgers (67) and PGA Tour rookie J.T. Poston (69).
Sam Saunders, who opened with a 7-under 64 on Thursday, stumbled to a 77 to make the cut at 1 under.
Jordan Spieth, coming off a victory at Pebble Beach, managed his 19th consecutive round under par on the PGA Tour with a 68 even though he felt as though he hit it short and crooked most of the week. He was at 5 under and in a tie for 11th.
Women’s Australian Open
ADELAIDE, Australia — Lizette Salas shot a 2-under 71 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Adelaide.
Salas birdied Nos. 14, 15 and 17 to reach 10-under 209. The two-time U.S. Solheim Cup player won the 2014 Kingsmill Championship for her lone LPGA Tour victory.
South Korean-born Australian Su Oh had the round of the day, a 68, and was tied for second with fellow Australian Sarah Jane Smith (74) and Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum (73).
Defending champion Haru Nomura of Japan was four strokes back after her second consecutive 69.
Second--ranked Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, the LPGA’s Player of the Year and a five-time winner in 2016, shot a 71 and was at 4 under. Michelle Wie shot 76 and was at 2 under, eight strokes behind.
Chubb Classic
NAPLES — Miguel Angel Jimenez birdied two of the last four holes to take a onestroke lead over Fred Couples and Kevin Sutherland into the final round of the Chubb Classic.
Jimenez birdied the par-4 15th and par-5 17th in a bogey-free 5-under 67 that got him to 12-under 132 in the PGA Tour Champions event at The TwinEagles Club.
Couples shot a 65 in perfect conditions on the Talon Course. He bogeyed the par-4 18th after making birdies on Nos. 14, 15 and 17. The Hall of Famer won the 2010 event at The Quarry.
Sutherland had a 63 for the best round of the week. He was 6 under on the final eight holes, making a birdie on the 11th, an eagle on the par-5 13th and closing with three straight birdies.
Jimenez has three victories in 23 career starts on the 50-and-over tour, winning once in each of the last three seasons.