Burns clings to 1-shot lead at Nelson
Spieth trims his deficit to three strokes after sinking eagle on par-5 18th hole
Sam Burns still has the lead going into the final round of the AT&T Byron Nelson despite more magic on the 18th green from local favorite Jordan Spieth.
Now it’s a race to beat the weather in Texas in the final round with a good number of the players headed to the PGA Championship in South Carolina.
Burns shot a 3-under 69 for a onestroke lead over K.H. Lee, who had a 67. Spieth, Matt Kuchar and Charl Schwartzel each shot 66 and were three strokes back along with Alex Noren, who shot 70.
The players will switch from twosomes back to threesomes going off the first and 10th tees soon after daybreak Sunday with heavy rain in the forecast. Without delays, the tournament will finish about four hours earlier than normal.
Spieth rolled in another eagle at the
par-5 18th, this time a shorter, bending putt from the fringe behind the hole. This time it just trimmed his deficit after Spieth’s 55-footer up a hill that splits the green gave him a share of the first-round lead.
The roar was the same, though, from the biggest gallery on the new course of his hometown event, the TPC Craig Ranch in Mckinney, about 30 miles north of Dallas. It’s the third venue in the past four Nelsons.
“Once it got on the green, it looked good,” Spieth said. “Started the putter raise and I wasn’t positive it was going in because the angle it was coming in at. I wanted to do the no look to the crowd, but, I mean, it was a really cool moment.”
Seamus Power holed out on a 35foot bunker shot on the par-4 15th for a 67 and was tied with 2017 U.S. Amateur winner Doc Redman at 16 under. Redman shot 69.
European: Richard Bland won his first European Tour event in his 478th attempt after beating Guido Migliozzi in a playoff for a dramatic finish at the British Masters. Bland became the oldest first-time winner in European Tour history at 48 when he parred the first extra hole at The Belfry after Migliozzi threeputted from long range.
Champions: Paul Goydos shot a bogey-free 3-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead over
Billy Andrade into the final round of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. The 56-year-old Goydos had an 8-under 136 total at TPC Sugarloaf. He has five senior victories after winning twice on the PGA Tour. Andrade eagled the par-5 18th in a 68. First-round leader Stephen Ames followed his opening 66 with a 72 to drop into a tie for third at 6 under with 2019 winner
Scott Mccarron (68), 2014 champion Miguel Angel Jimenez (68), Dicky Pride (67) and Kirk Triplett (68). Mccarron also won two PGA Tour events at TPC Sugarloaf. Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz bogeyed the final three holes for a 77. He opened with an 84 and was 76th among the 78 finishes at 17 over.