Red-hot putter aids Choi
One-putts his last six holes to earn share of Farmers lead
K.J. Choi one-putted his last six holes Saturday to salvage an even-par 72 and a share of the lead with Scott Brown going into a final round at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.
But the biggest threat might be a forecast of high wind and big rain, and tee times were moved up as early as possible to try to avoid it.
Inside the ropes, the final round figured to be wide open with 16 players separated by three shots.
Choi was headed the wrong direction until he made a pair of birdies, saved par on three straight holes and then hit wedge to three feet on the par-5 18th for one last birdie that allowed him to join Brown at 9-under 207.
Brown had a 70 and goes into Sunday with a great chance to win and earn the Augusta native his first trip to the Masters.
Gary Woodland, tied with Choi going into the third round, birdied his last hole for a 73 to join Jimmy Walker at one shot behind.
Choi hasn’t won since The Players Championship in 2011, which gave him a five-year exemption that ends this year. He was an assistant captain in the Presidents Cup in October, and showed he still has plenty of game.
Jason Gore had an albatross when he holed out with a 3-wood on the par-5 18th hole. LPGA: Charley Hull and Anna Nordqvist shared the lead Saturday in the season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic while Ha Na Jang had the first hole-in-one on a par 4 in LPGA history.
Canada’s Maude-Aimee Leblanc and Brooke Henderson both sit six off the lead.
Jang made the albatross on the eighth hole, at a mere 218 yards playing at a distance normally considered a par 3. The South Korean player was five strokes back after a 68.