Mitchell goes bogey-free, leads Mcilroy by 2
Golfer got his putter fixed and it’s been helping so far
Keith Mitchell straightened out his putter and delivered big tee shots Saturday that carried him to a 6under 66 and a two-shot lead over Rory Mcilroy and Gary Woodland in the Wells Fargo Championship.
The putter issue is not a figure of speech.
After closing with an 82 in the Valspar Championship last week, Mitchell discovered his putter was out of alignment. He had it bent back to the right specifications, avoided mistakes that slowed so many others, and now has a chance at a second PGA Tour victory.
“I just feel like everything ’s really working,” said Mitchell, who was at 9-under 204. “My driver feels great, and around this place you’ve really got to drive it well. Really just trying to keep the ball in front of me right now and see what we can do tomorrow.”
Mcilroy will be right there along for the ride.
A two-time winner at Quail Hollow, Mcilroy raced out to the lead, steadied himself after a double bogey on the 12th hole when his drive hit a cart path, and shot 68. Winless the last 18 months, Mcilroy will be in the final group for the first time since Riviera more than a year ago.
Woodland had troubles on his own, particularly a drive right of the water hazard on the par-5 seventh that turned birdie into bogey, and a lapse of poor putting down the stretch on the back nine. He still managed a 70 with a chance to win for the first time since his U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach in 2019.
Missing from the action is Phil Mickelson, whose 64 in the opening round now feels like more than two days ago. He took double bogey from
the trees on No. 9 and came up short in the water on the 136-yard 17th hole for another double bogey and a 76. He is 9 over the last two rounds and tied for 55th.
Still playing is Bryson Dechambeau, but not after an 1,800-mile round trip home to Dallas and back when he thought he missed the cut. He made it back to Quail Hollow with an hour to spare and shot 68, with a double bogey on the last hole, and was eight shots behind.
LPGA: Patty Tavatanakit struggled on the front nine but will take a one-shot lead over fellow Thai Atthaya Thitikul and German Caroline Masson into the final round of the LPGA Thailand tournament. Tavatanakit recovered from her slow start to shoot a 2-under 70 in the third round at Siam Country Club. After back-to-back 64s, Tavatanakit bogeyed on the fourth and ninth after a birdie on the second. She recovered with birdies on the 14th and
15th and fought back from the bunker on the final hole for her fourth birdie. She moved to 18-under 198. “I’m not expecting to have a perfect tournament.” Tavatanakit said. “Even though I had some nice rounds, it was still not perfect, which I feel like it’s the nature of the game itself. I’m really proud of myself of how I hung in there and grinded back to shooting under par.” Tavatanakit and 18-year-old Thitikul
are playing under high home expectations despite no crowds due to the pandemic. The 21-year-old Tavatanakit became Thailand’s new leading female golfer following her breakthrough win at the ANA Inspiration major last month.
Champions Tour: Defending champion Steve Stricker made a long eagle putt on the final hole for 7-under 65 and the third-round lead in the Regions Tradition, the first of five PGA Tour Champions majors. Stricker moved a stroke ahead of Alex Cejka with the eagle that got him to 14-under 202 at Greystone
Golf & Country Club. Cejka, who made the field as the first alternate Monday, bogeyed the 17th in a 66. Stricker, who won the Alabama major the last time it was held in 2019, raised his fist toward the fans just an instant before the eagle putt dropped in on the closing par 5. Cejka two-putted for par.
European Tour: Garrick Higgo made four birdies in his last four holes to shoot a 7-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead entering the final round of the Canary Islands Championship.
Walker Cup: Cole Hammer and Ricky Castillo each won two matches and the United States took a 7-5 lead into the final day as it goes for its fifth straight victory on home soil. Hammer teamed with Davis Thompson in the morning to win a foursomes match so wild that only three holes were halved in a 1-up victory, and then held on to beat John Murphy 3 and 1 in the anchor singles match.