Willett on course to claim his first title since Masters
Spieth fires 8 birdies to grab lead at Pebble Beach Pro-Am tournament
Englishman Danny Willett moved into position to claim a first title since his dramatic US Masters win last April after he forged a three-stroke lead going into today’s final round at the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.
The 29-year-old has struggled to replicate the form that led him to a first major triumph at Augusta National but Willett has shone this week at the Saujana Golf and Country Club and a five-under-par third round 67 took him to 16-under yesterday.
After offsetting a single bogey with six birdies, Willett sits three clear of American David Lipsky and four ahead of Frenchman Alexander Levy in the co-sanctioned European and Asian Tour event.
“It was up and down, I’d have taken a 67 at the start of the day, it spreads the top five and top six guys out a bit more and further away,” Willett told reporters.
“I’m probably going to go hit a few [on the practice range] and make a few little minor tweaks here and there, and try to get the driver to where it’s been most of the week.
“I’m not sure what will win it to be honest, depends on if we pitch up and it’s flat calm. I think there’s a few guys that can go low if it’s windy like this.”
Lone blemish
Willett’s round had a lone blemish on the par-three fifth and he finished strongly with back-to-back birdies on the last two holes.
Lipsky recorded five birdies against one bogey for a 68 to stay ahead of Levy, who hit a blemishfree 67. Overnight leader Bernd Wiesberger slipped down to a five-way share of fourth place following a one-over-par 73.
In San Francisco, Jordan Spieth fired eight birdies in a sevenunder 65 on Friday to seize the clubhouse lead before fog halted the second round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The former world number one, now ranked sixth, had a 10-under total of 133.
Fellow American Derek Fathauer was at 10-under with one to play on Pebble Beach golf Leading third-round scores (Maybank Championship Malaysia) 200 - Danny Willett (ENG) 66-67-67 203 - David Lipsky (USA) 68-67-68 204 - Alexander Levy (FRA) 69-68-67 205 - Gregory Havret (FRA) 69-70-66, Panuphol Pittayarat (THA) 70-69-66, K.T. Kim (KOR) 68-68-69, Mike LorenzoVera (FRA) 70-65-70, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)69-63-73 206 - Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 70-69-67, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 69-68-69 207 - Shubhankar Sharma (IND) 68-68-71 208 - Haotong Li (CHN) 71-69-68, Johannes Veerman (USA) 73-68-67, Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 71-68-69, Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 66-72-70, links when play was suspended for the day.
The USPGA Tour event was already behind schedule after heavy rains and high winds rendered all three courses in use — Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula — unplayable on Thursday afternoon and left 81 players to complete the first round on Friday.
Spieth, playing Spyglass Hill, was among the few golfers to complete the second round.