Noren recovers from ‘sour’ double bogey to seize lead
LA JOLLA: Sweden’s Alex Noren shook off a disappointing double bogey on Saturday, closing strong at Torrey Pines to take a oneshot lead at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Noren, a nine-time winner on the European Tour who is seeking his first US PGA Tour title, carded a three-under-par 69 to take the 54-hole lead on 11-under 205.
He was one stroke in front of Ryan Palmer, the overnight leader who was atop the leaderboard much of the day but followed an eagle at the 13th with bogeys at 14 and 16 to come in with a one-over 73 for 206.
Americans JB Holmes and Michael Kim shared third on 207, with former world No.1 Jason Day of Australia and England’s Justin Rose among a group of seven sharing fififth place on 208.
With 14-time major champion Tiger Woods in the spotlight in his first US PGA Tour tournament since he missed the cut at Torrey Pines last year, Noren made a quiet ascent up the leaderboard.
After five pars he drained a 38-foot eagle putt at the sixth.
He was disappointed to give two shots back with a double-bogey at the 12th, where he need four shots to reach the green.
But he responded with three birdies the rest of the way, taking the lead with a twoputt birdie at the par-five 18th.
“That double was very sour to me,” said Noren, ranked 19th in the world. “Finally got some birdies coming back, which felt very good.”
Meanwhile Woods was wild off the tee, but some spectacular putting saw him salvage a third-round 70.
“It was gross,” Woods, 42, said of a round that saw him hit just three of 14 fairways.
He was in the right rough, the left rough and four bunkers. But Woods rolled in four birdie putts ranging from a tap-in to a 15-footer to counter two bogeys on a Torrey Pines South Course where his eight wins include his 14th and most recent major title at the 2008 US Open.
“That’s just fighting, fighting and grinding,” said Woods, who had a 54-hole total of three-under 213.