Steady Furyk ‘excited’ with share of Barclays lead
PARAMUS, N.J. — Jim Furyk doesn’t see another chance to fail, only another chance to win.
Seven times since Furyk last won at the 2010 Tour Championship, he has had at least a share of the 54-hole lead.
Seven times he has failed to convert.
He gave himself yet another opportunity Saturday with a bogey-free round of 2-under 69 that left him tied with Jason Day going into the final round at The Barclays.
Nervous? Motivated? Determined?
“Excited about one more opportunity,” Furyk said.
This one is not his to lose. It’s for just about everyone to win.
As steady as Furyk was on a cloudy Saturday at Ridgewood, Day was all over the place. He lost a ball in a mound of high grass and took double bogey on the par-5 13th, the third-easiest hole at Ridgewood in the third round. He took four shots to get down from a bunker on the par-5 17th for a bogey.
Each time, the Australian bounced back with one or more birdies. Day, who has made 13 birdies the past two days, wound up with a 68.
They were at 9-under 204. And they had a lot of company.
Fifteen players were separated by three shots going into the final round, an eclectic group that features players trying to get into the top 100 to advance to the second event in the FedEx Cup playoffs (Morgan Hoffmann, Bo Van Pelt, Gonzalo Fernandez Castano) to players with far more experience (Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar).
A few notable players were missing from that group.
Adam Scott, tied for the lead going into the third round, made only one bogey and shot 75 to fall five shots behind. British Open and PGA champion Rory McIlroy, going after his fourth consecutive victory, made an early move before he was slowed by a pair of bogeys around the turn. He could only manage a 70 and was five behind.
Phil Mickelson was headed home.
For only the second time in six years, the 54-hole cut was used during the FedEx Cup playoff. Mickelson shot 75 and did not advance. Still unclear was whether he would play next week in the second playoff event outside Boston. If he doesn’t, Mickelson could risk failing to advance to the third event in Denver.
Mickelson still managed to keep it entertaining. For the second consecutive day, his tee shot on the par-4 fifth hole wound up on the terrace of a grandstand left of the green. He played it off the carpet, and at least this time saved par. But it wasn’t enough to save him.
There were wild shifts in momentum, birdies and bogeys everywhere at Ridgewood. Through it all, Furyk was a steady presence. He picked up his only two birdies on the back nine and saved par with a long bunker shot to tap-in range on the 18th to get into a familiar position.
Now all he has to do is change the result.
He has lost chances at a World Golf Championship and two majors. His last opportunity was a month ago in the Canadian Open, when only a few players had a realistic chance to win. Tim Clark beat him one shot. This was one is different. “There’s a ton of guys between 5- and 9-under par,” Furyk said. “Going to be a little bit of a shootout tomorrow. So I’m happy to be at 9 [under] and looking forward to it. Had some opportunities this year and I felt like I’ve played well on Sunday.”
LPGA TOUR Ryu still in lead LONDON, Ontario — Azahara Munoz shot a 9-under 63 to move into a tie for second place at the Canadian Women’s Open.
Despite Munoz tying the course record at London Hunt and Country Club to get to 16 under, leader So Yeon Ryu still leads the tournament by four strokes going into the final round.
Ryu has 21 birdies and just one bogey in her first three rounds to move to 20 under and within range of the LPGA record of 26 under.
Fellow South Korean Na Yeon Choi and Munoz are tied in second, while last week’s LPGA Championship winner, Inbee Park was third at 14 under.
Anna Nordqvist of Sweden was 13 under, while Americans Brittany Lincicome and Danielle Kang were 12 under.
Brooke Henderson is in the best spot of the four Canadians left in the field after shooting a 1-under 71 to get to 4 under.
Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) had two birdies and a bogey for a 1-under 71 (210), placing her in a tie for 23rd at 6 under.
WEB.COM TOUR Ortiz remains on top Carlos Ortiz hung on to the lead Saturday of the Portland Open in North Plains, Ore.
Alexandre Rocha was two strokes behind after three rounds. Adam Hadwin had a 63 (201), which was good for third place. Mark Hubbard was fourth. Glen Day (Little Rock) had two birdies and four bogeys for a 2-over 72 (214) and was tied for 68th. Scott Gardiner (Farmington) and Sebastian Cappelen (Arkansas Razorbacks) failed to make the cut.
CHAMPIONS TOUR Dunlap pulls ahead Scott Dunlap had one eagle and seven birdies for a 9-under 63 (132) to take the lead Saturday in the second round of the Boeing Classic at Snoqualmie, Wash.
Dunlap is one stroke ahead of Doug Garwood, who had a 66 on Saturday for a total of 133. Tommy Armour III and Mark Brooks shared third place at 135. Armour shot a 68 and Brooks had a 70.
First-round leader Mike Goodes had 2 birdies and five bogeys for a 3-over 75, placing him in a tie for 16th at 139. EUROPEAN PGA Dredge up by 2 VYSOKY UJEZD, Czech Republic — Bradley Dredge shot a flawless 6-under 66 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the third round of the Czech Masters.
The Welshman, seeking his third European Tour victory, produced six birdies for an overall 12-under 204 at the Albatross Golf Resort near Prague.
His countryman and second-round leader Jamie Donaldson shot a 71 to sit tied for second with Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark (68), still on course to secure a spot on Europe’s Ryder Cup team.
Stephen Gallacher, another Ryder Cup hopeful, also carded a 71 to sit four shots back.