Furyk carries 4-shot lead into US Senior Open final round
OMAHA: Jim Furyk overcame a mid-round lull following the second of two weather delays on Saturday and moved closer to winning his first senior major title.
The 51-year-old took a four-shot lead into the final round of the U.S. Senior Open ater shooting a 4-under 66 on Saturday to get to 8-under 202 at Omaha Country Club.
“I started off real well this morning, felt I was striking the ball well and hit some good shots and good puts,” Furyk said. “When I came out from the delay, I kind of lost my rhythm. I kind of setled down and made a long put and for the rest of the way played prety well.”
TWO-WAY TIE: Thomas Detry and Mat Fitzpatrick took alternative routes to a tie for the third-round lead at the Scotish Open on Saturday.
Surrounded by vacated and scatered bar benches beside a grandstand at the back of the 17th green, Detry somehow got up and down for one of eight straight pars coming home in a 3-under 68 at The Renaissance Club.
“It was nice to hear the crowds and to see some beer flying around ater that shot,” said Detry, who is seeking his first European Tour title.
Joining the Belgian on 14 under overall for the tournament was Fitzpatrick, whose own lucky break came at the par-3 14th when he overhit his tee shot - only to see the ball ricochet off a stone wall and back onto the green. He missed the short birdie put but picked up two shots in his final three holes for a 67.
HATAOKA AHEAD: Japanese star Nasa Hataoka will take a commanding six-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA Marathon Classic ater firing a seven-under 64 on Saturday in Sylvania, Ohio.
The 22-year-old soared back up the leaderboard in the third round to reach a 19-under 194 total at the Highland Meadows Golf Club course.
Starting the day with a two stroke lead, Hataoka widened the gap by hiting 17 of 18 fairways and rolling in eight birdies. Her only blemish was a three put bogey on the par-four third hole.
“When I was first here, it was my rookie year and I really played awful. So when I’m playing the way I am right now, it really makes me think how much I have grown up,” said Hataoka. “Right now I’m not going to think about winning. I’m just going to concentrate on playing my best.”
Americans Elizabeth Szokol and Mina Harigae are tied for second at 13-under 200.
Germany’s Esther Henseleit is in solo fourth at 12 under and U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso, of the Philippines, is tied for fith at 11 under. This is Saso’s first time playing in a nonmajor tournament as a full-time Tour member.