Furyk enters last round ahead by 1
PITTSFORD, New York—Oak Hill finally had enough elements for a strong test Saturday in the PGA Championship, and Jim Furyk was up for the fight.
Furyk closed with two big putts—one for birdie to regain the lead, one for par to keep it—that gave him a 2-under 68 for a 9-under 201 total and a one-shot lead over Jason Dufner going into the final round.
Coming off an 18-foot birdie putt on the 17th, Furyk hit his 3-wood so badly on the 472-yard closing hole that he couldn’t have reached the green even if he had been in the fairway. He hit a solid shot over the bunkers and back into the fairway, watched his third shot spin off the green onto the fringe and gave an emphatic fist pump when his 15-foot par putt curled in the left side of the cup for par.
Dufner shot a 71, which was eight shots worse than his record-tying 63 on a soft course Friday, but at least got him into the final group at the PGA Championship for the second time in three years.
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, a runnerup at the British Open three weeks ago, dropped only one shot over the last 16 holes and ran in a pair of 12-foot birdie putts for a 69. He was twoshots behind in third place, one better than countryman Jonas Blixt, who had a 66.
The surprise was Masters champion Adam Scott, whowas poised to seize control at any moment.
Scott two-putted for birdie on the 14th but two holes later fell back with a double bogey on the 16th. The Australian managed a 72 and was four shots behind, along with Steve Stricker (70).
Still with an outside chance was Rory McIlroy, who came to life with three late birdies, including a 40-footer on the 17th and a chip-in on the 18th, for a 67.
Woods, meanwhile, will have to wait eight more months to end his drought in the majors. He opened with two bogeys in the first three holes and shot a 73 to fall 13 shots behind.
British Open champion Phil Mickelson sprayed the ball all over OakHill on his way to a 78. AP