Munoz fires 68, maintains Greenbrier Classic lead
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Sebastian Munoz shot a 2-under 68 on Saturday to maintain a two-stroke lead over Robert Streb after the third round of The Greenbrier Classic, keeping the PGA Tour rookie in position to become the tournament’s first wire-towire winner.
The 24-year-old Colombian was at
14-under 196 at Old White TPC. Streb shot a 65.
Rookie Xander Schauffele and Jamie Lovemark were 11 under after 66s.
Davis Love III was at 10 under after a 68. At 53, he’s trying to become the oldest winner on the PGA Tour.
Kelly Kraft (67) and Russell Henley
(68) also were 10 under.
While his birdie pace slowed to a trickle, Munoz overcame several miscues to stay atop the leaderboard. He saved par on the ninth hole after driving under a tree, regained the lead with a
26-foot birdie putt on the par-4 13th after driving into the rough, and added a 36-footer for birdie on the par-4 15th.
Streb, five strokes behind Munoz entering the day, birdied the 490-yard
11th and hit his 231-yard approach shot next to the flag and made eagle at the
par-5 12th.
He’d like to do a little better than in
2015 at the tournament, when he lost in a four-man playoff won by Danny Lee.
That year, Streb broke his putter on the ninth hole in the final round when he tossed it at his bag next to the green. He made five birdie putts on the back nine with a 56-degree wedge. He was able to put a new putter in his bag for the playoff but was eliminated on the first extra without ever getting to use it.
Streb’s only top-10 finish this season was a tie for ninth at the Farmers Insurance Open. Munoz is still looking to crack the top 10. At the St. Jude Classic last month, Munoz was tied for the lead through 36 holes, but he played the final two rounds in 11 over and tied for 60th.
Love is among those trying to earn a spot in the British Open in two weeks. The leading four players not already exempt from the top 12 finishers will earn spots. Henley is the only player in the top 10 who has already qualified.
Age record-holder Sam Snead won the last of his eight titles at Greensboro in 1965 at 52 years, 10 months, 8 days. Love will try to break the mark at Snead’s former playground. Snead was the longtime head pro and pro emeritus at The Greenbrier resort. He died in 2002.
Kraft was tied for the lead with Munoz until making a double bogey at No. 13 and bogey at No. 14. Schauffele, another PGA Tour rookie, shot onto the leaderboard with a 60-foot eagle putt at No. 12.
Irish Open
PORTSTEWART, Northern Ireland — Jan Rahm shot a second straight 5-under 67 at the Irish Open and moved into a share of the lead with Daniel Im in the third round on Saturday.
On a day of good scoring over the links at Portstewart Golf Club, the 11th-ranked Rahm moved to 17 under par overall after making four consecutive birdies from No. 11 and parring his way home.
Im, who was tied for the lead with Benjamin Hebert after the first two rounds, birdied five of his opening 14 holes and scrambled superbly at the end to shoot a 68 and stay alongside Rahm. Hebert is a stroke behind after shooting
69.
Rahm, one of golf’s hottest talents, tied for
10th at the French Open last week in the Spaniard’s first appearance on the European Tour and looks in good shape to collect his second victory of 2017, after the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on the U.S. PGA Tour in January.
Having turned professional only a little over a year ago, Rahm also finished third and second in his first two World Golf Championship events.
“I’ve never led going into the final round so I am a little inexperienced in that sense,” said Rahm, who was persuaded to play the event by tournament host Rory McIlroy. “But I know what I did at Torrey Pines, both good and bad. Hopefully I won’t need two eagles in the last five holes again to win tomorrow.
“I have exceeded my expectations massively. My putting and short game has never been my best ally on links courses, but this week has been the opposite. I’m not used to making this many putts and it feels great.”
Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia are Spaniards to have won the Irish Open.
Im, a 542nd-ranked American, is in even more unusual territory.
“I’m just going to enjoy every moment of it tomorrow,” Im said. “It’s going to be amazing playing with Jon Rahm. He’s one of the fastest rising stars in the world. It will be fun.”
The No. 2-ranked Hideki Matsuyama dropped into a tie for 22nd after a 72.