‘Clinical’ Casey leads at Travelers

ABQ’s Jones in hunt in Madison

CROMWELL, Conn. — Paul Casey has come close each of the three previous times he has played in Connecticut. He has a great chance to break through today in the Travelers Championship.

Casey shot an 8-under 62 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead into the final round.

Casey, whose win at Valspar in Florida in March was his first PGA Tour title in nine years, called the bogey-free round at TPC River Highlands his best of the year.

The Englishman had six birdies and an eagle — at the signature par-4 15th hole — where he hit his tee shot onto the green and then sank a 23-foot putt. He broke out of the pack hitting all 18 greens and has a streak of 23 straight heading into today. He was at 16-under 194.

“It was clinical,” he said. “I did everything I wanted to do. I can’t do any more than that.”

Russell Henley was 12 under after a 67, and J.B. Holmes (65), Anirban Lahiri (65) and thirdround leader Brain Harman (69) were 11 under.

Jason Day shot 66, and Bubba Watson 67, leaving them 10 under. Watson came from six back to the 2010 event and beat Casey in a playoff in 2015.

Watson would join Billy Casper as the only players to win this tournament more than twice. Casper won his fourth Connecticut title in 1973.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth was 3 under after a 71. He opened 63-73.

PGA CHAMPIONS TOUR: In Madison, Wis., Esteban Toledo birdied four of the last six holes for a 6-under 66 and the second-round lead in the American Family Insurance Championship.

Five strokes behind tournament host Steve Stricker after an opening 69 in rain Friday at University Ridge, Toledo had six birdies in a bogey-free round to reach 9-under 135. The 55-year-old Mexican player won the last of his four PGA Tour Champions titles in 2016.

Defending champion Fred Couples (67), David Toms (66), Albuqurque’s Kent Jones (67) and Billy Mayfair (68) were a stroke back.

LPGA: In Rogers, Ark., Minjee Lee and Nasa Hataoka each shot 6-under 65 to share the second-round lead in the NW Arkansas Championship.

Lee, who won the Volvik Championship last month in Michigan, bogeyed her final hole to drop into a tie with the 19-year-old Japanese player at 13-under 129. The 22-year-old Australian is ranked ninth in the world and in search of her fifth career victory.

Third-ranked Lexi Thompson shot a 64 to get to 11 under.