Kuchar in control with Lee chasing

Matt Kuchar had another rough hole and enough birdies to atone for it yesterday, posting a 6-under 65 to open a four-shot lead in the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Kuchar hit a wild drive to the right into mangroves on the par-4 14th and had to get up-and-down to salvage a bogey. That was the only big mistake for Kuchar, who is going after his first PGA Tour title in more than four years.

He saved par from just off the green at the 18th to finish at 20-under 193, four shots ahead of Whee Kim, who had a 66.

It matches the largest 54-hole lead of Kuchar’s career. He also led by four at the Houston Open in 2014, when he wound up losing to Matt Jones in a playoff.

Richy Werenski and New Zealander Danny Lee each shot 67 and were five shots back, followed by a group that included PGA Tour rookie of the year Aaron Wise (63) and Cameron Champ (69).

Kuchar has been piling up birdies at El Camaleon Golf Club, and he pulled away with four on the front nine. Just like Saturday, however, one hole gave him stress. It was the 12th hole in the second round, when he had to make a 10.5m bogey putt. Yesterday, it was a tee shot on the 14th. Kuchar took a penalty from the hazard, and dropped in a good lie.

Instead of taking relief into deeper rough, he hit with his feet on the cart path and picked it clean so his fairway metal wouldn’t smack into the cement. It came up just short of the green, and he chipped to 1.5m and made the bogey putt.

Kuchar responded with a tee shot to 1.2m on the par-3 15th to restore his margin to four shots, and he caught a break on the last hole when his approach struck a tree and came down in light rough to set up a simple up-and-down.