Kitayama holds onto Bay Hill lead
ORLANDO, Fla. – Kurt Kitayama steadied himself down the stretch Saturday at Bay Hill, closing with two birdies over the last three holes to escape with an even-par 72 and a one-shot lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Now comes the hard part for Kitayama, a 30-year-old Californian going after his first PGA Tour victory.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler had five birdies over his last seven holes in warm gusts that made Bay Hill tough as ever. He finished with a 68 and was one shot behind, along with Viktor Hovland of Norway (66).
Hovland finished runner-up to Scheffler a year ago at Bay Hill.
The rest of the contenders are what was to be expected with a $20 million event and every PGA Tour member from the top 50 in the world.
Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Max Homa all were within range of Kitayama if he were to lose ground or if Bay Hill was baked and brittle as it typically is for the final round. For now, Kitayama held his own. “Just proud of the way I fought,” he said.
His two-shot lead was gone when he sent his drive well to the right and outof-bounds on the par-5 fourth hole, and he went out in 39 as Hovland planted himself at the top and McIlroy made his move with a remarkable bogey-free round of 68.
“I think any time you can go bogeyfree on the weekend at Bay Hill you’re doing something right,” McIlroy said. “I got myself right into the tournament, into the thick of things for tomorrow.”
Two shots behind Kitayama was Tyrrell Hatton of England, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational for his first U.S. victory in 2020, the last PGA Tour event before the COVID-19 pandemic. He also played bogey-free for a 66.
There was plenty of evidence of trouble at Bay Hill, as always.
Corey Conners of Canada was among four players who had at least a share of the lead at one point Saturday, only to shoot 40 on the back nine. He finished
with a shot into the 18th that caromed off the rocks, into the rough and then trickled back down the rocks. He made bogey for a 75.
Puerto Rico Open
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – PGA Tour rookie Nico Echavarria of Colombia ran off four straight birdies early in his round and finished with a 7-under 65 for a two-shot lead as he goes for his first PGA Tour victory.
Carson Young, who led the opening two rounds at Grand Reserve, had to birdie the last hole for a 71 and was Echavarria’s closest pursuer.
Young began with a four-shot lead, and the 28-year-old Colombian made up ground quickly with an eagle on the par-5 second hole and then four straight birdies starting at the fourth.
He went out in 30 and already had the lead when they made the turn.
“It was a dream start,” Echavarria said. “You never think you’re going to shoot 6 under on the front nine the third round, so I knew it had to be a low one because (Young) had a big lead. I gave myself some really good chances on the front nine, putter was hot.” Echavarria was at 17-under 199. The winner earns a spot in The Players Championship next week with its $25 million purse, along with spots in the PGA Championship and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour. It does not come with an invitation to the Masters because the Puerto Rico Open is held the same week as the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Sam Stevens (65) and Nate Lashley (67) were four shots behind.
“I played solid today, I just didn’t hit anything really close,” Young said. “I still feel good about my game. I drove it better today than I did yesterday, which is a positive. It was just a grind today just because I wasn’t hitting really anything close, but I feel good about my game and I’m ready to see what I can do tomorrow.”
LPGA Tour
SINGAPORE – Defending champion Jin Young Ko shot a second consecutive 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead over Nelly Korda into the final round of the Women’s World Championship.
Ko had a 54-hole total of 14-under 202 after another weather-delayed day at the Sentosa Golf Club. She birdied four of her first five holes and two of her last three.
“I tried to focus really hard over the front nine,” Ko said. “I felt, ‘yeah, today is a good day, so keep going.’”
Americans held the other leading positions.
Korda shot 68 Saturday and was in second place, followed by first-round leader Elizabeth Szokol, who had a 70 and was three behind Ko and in third place, tied with Allisen Corpuz, who also shot 70.
Second-round leader Danielle Kang was in fifth place after a 72, four strokes behind Ko.
Korda said weather suspensions over the past two days “have been really, really long” and she had to make sure she stayed mentally alert.
“After the rain delay, I actually bogeyed No. 10 and had to tell myself to refocus because after such a long delay, just kind of lose it in a sense,” Korda said. “You’re not in a zone like you were playing nine or holes before and you had the momentum.”
Corpuz said she plans to stay aggressive during the final round.
“I’ve had a tendency in the past to get a little more conservative I think under pressure, and I think just knowing that what it’s going to take just staying aggressive and still trying to play the same way that I did the last three days,” she said. “I will just try to take that mindset into tomorrow.”
No. 1-ranked Lydia Ko shot 70 and was at 7-under, seven strokes behind.