Chappell leads Texas Open by 1 stroke after 3rd round
SAN ANTONIO - Kevin Chappell found his swing late and moved a step closer to his first PGA Tour win.
Chappell birdied three of his final five holes and finished with a 1-under 71 on Saturday, giving him a one-stroke lead after three rounds of the Valero Texas Open. He is 8-under through 54 holes. He was runnerup six years ago in the event and is ahead of first-round leader Branden Grace, who rallied with 2-under 70, and John Huh. After an eagle-birdie finish, Huh shot 71.
“It was about finding a rhythm,” Chappell said. “I knew when I found it, I could extend it. You can get it going on the finishing stretch.”
Ryan Palmer, a West Texas native who cut through winds as strong as 25 mph, had the round of the day with 4-under 68. He’s joined at 6-under by second round co-leaders Bud Cauley (74) and Tony Finau (74), Sweden’s Carl Pettersson (71), 2013 Texas Open champ Martin Laird (71), Kevin Tway (72) and Australian Cameron Smith (73).
Chappell tied for seventh with Rory McIlroy at the Masters this month, and he got his late charge going Saturday after leaving an eagle putt short at the par-5 14th. He tapped in to gain a stroke, and he made good two holes later with a 12-foot birdie. He chipped to two feet on the downwind, 318-yard 17th and had another tap-in birdie.
Chappell, 30, flirted with trouble on the 18th when his second shot rolled next to a brook, but he had enough room for a full swing and reached the green to set up a 2-putt par.
“I knew my game was in a good place,” said Chappell, who took the week off after Augusta to celebrate the second birthday of his oldest son, Wyatt. “I had played some really good rounds of golf.”
Grace lost his early tournament lead with a 2-over 73 in the second round. But the South African rallied Saturday and had a lead until a bogey at No. 15.
“It was pretty irritating out there,” Grace said. “Pars out there are good. Just have to be patient.”
Gusts that blew past 20 mph kept scores high — there were 14 scores below par Saturday. On Friday 49 rounds were under par, and 69 sub-par scores were recorded Thursday.
As notable as Palmer’s round was in the windy conditions, it fits with the Texans’ profile at this course. Since the tournament moved to TPC San Antonio’s Greg Norman-designed Oaks Course seven years ago, Palmer’s got three top-10 finishes including his best of a fourth-place tie last year.
“As hard as it was blowing today, and as exposed as this course can be, it made for a challenging day,” he said. “Fortunately, I’ve had success out here when it’s blowing this way. I knew what to expect.”
With the wind at his back, he drove the 318-yard 17th hole but was faced with a 93-foot eagle putt. He sank a 56-foot putt to birdie earlier at No. 6, so he 2-putted for the birdie at 17 and ran in another birdie at 18.
European Tour
SHENZHEN, China - Bernd Wiesberger of Austria shot a 3-under 69 Saturday to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Shenzhen International.
South African Dylan Frittelli was second after a 68 with a birdie-birdie finish.
Champions Tour
RIDGEDALE, Mo. - Fred Funk and Jeff Sluman teamed to shoot a courserecord 10-under par on Saturday to take the opening-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge.
Davis Love III and Scott Verplank birdied their final four holes to finish at 6 under and in a tie for second place along with Fred Couples and Jay Haas. Love and Verplank did so despite a pair of bogeys on their opening nine holes, while Couples and Haas birdied the 18th to reach 6 under.