Rockland’s Khang, fresh off LPGA win No. 1, leads again
Megan Khang closed with an 18-foot birdie putt for her third straight 6-under-par 66 and a one-stroke lead Saturday in the Portland (Ore.) Classic in a bid to win for the second straight week.
The 25-year-old Rockland native was on top at Columbia Edgewater six days after winning the CPKC Women’s Open at Shaughnessy in Vancouver, British Columbia, for her first LPGA Tour victory. Columbia Edgewater and Shaughnessy were both designed by A.V. Macan and feature towering trees.
“Game feels pretty solid,” Khang said. “I think last week definitely helped build some confidence, knowing I can win out here. It’s not just if it was going to happen or when, but like it has happened, so it’s definitely a great feeling to have under the belt.”
Hyo Joon Jang of South Korea and Monday qualifier Chanettee Wannasaen of Thailand were tied for second.
The 20-year-old Jang, ranked 488th in the world, shot a 62. She had 11 birdies and one bogey. The 19-year-old Wannasaen, ranked 367 th, had a 65.
Wannasaen has missed nine straight cuts in LPGA Tour play. She lost a playoff to Yue Ren last week in Idaho in the Epson Tour’s Circling Raven Championship.
“The Monday qualify is really means a lot to me because like I got more confident before I play in tournament,” Wannasaen said. “Because the Monday qualify, I play really well.”
Khang played the back nine in 5-under 31 to get to 18 under.
“Just going to try it take what I learned last week into this week, going with I think a oneshot lead,” Khang said. “So it’s definitely a lot closer and there is a ton of people. I know for a fact you can shoot low, and so it’s going to be anyone’s game out there, I feel like.”
DP World — Aiming to seal his place at the Ryder Cup this month, Matt Fitzpatrick doubled his lead at the European Masters to two shots after the third round in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Fitzpatrick played the par-4 18th hole perfectly and sank a 6-foot birdie putt to card a 3-under round of 67. He was at 15under 195 at sun-soaked Cranssur-Sierre club in the Alps.
The 2022 US Open champion at The Country Club needs to finish better than seventh alone to take the third and final qualifying place via the World Points List for Europe’s Ryder Cup team. Tommy Fleetwood holds third place, though is not playing this week.
Fitzpatrick led by two strokes over Alexander Björk, his playing partner Saturday who shot 68, plus a second Swede, Ludvig Saberg (66), and Connor Syme (65).
Alex Fitzpatrick, the younger brother of Matt, was a shot further back and tied for fifth with Nicolai Højgaard.
The European Masters typically has a tight finish, and the past nine editions have been won either in a playoff or by one stroke. Fitzpatrick’s 2017 and ’18 victories were in playoffs, and a third title in the mountains would match Spanish great Seve Ballesteros.
A third and final automatic place on the European Points List is also there to be won Sunday, to join Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, and Tyrrell Hatton.
Robert MacIntyre holds that place and the Scot shot a levelpar 70 to be 3 under.
Walker Cup — John Gough of England won both his matches at St. Andrews and Great Britain & Ireland built a 3-point lead over the Americans, its largest opening-day margin since 1989.
GB&I will take a 7½-4½ lead into Sunday. It has lost three straight Walker Cups; the Americans have a 38-9-1 record in the amateur matches, which date to 1922.
Gough and Matthew McClean held on for a 1-up victory in foursomes as GB&I set the tone by taking three of the four team matches. Gough then won five straight holes to start his singles match and beat US Amateur champion Nick Dunlap, 6 and 5, the shortest match of the day.
The afternoon singles came down to four tight matches in the middle of the lineup.
Gordon Sargent, the No. 1 amateur in golf, made a 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at the Old Course for a 1-up victory over Jack Bigham.
Sargent earlier won a foursomes match with Dylan Menante, the only US point in the morning.