Day charges to take lead at Quail Hollow
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Quail Hollow Club played softer and shorter Saturday, producing one low score after another before the final groups even started their third rounds at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Jason Day wasn’t paying attention, which probably helped.
When he sputtered at the start, there was no reason to panic that he wasn’t taking advantage of a great day for scoring. And when Day finally picked up his first birdie by blasting a 9-iron shot out of the rough with the wind at his back from 195 yards to 18 inches away from the ninth hole, he was on his way.
Day made five birdies over his last 10 holes for a 4-underpar 67, giving him a two-shot lead over Nick Watney as he goes for his second PGA Tour victory this year.
“I was just staying in my own world, staying in my lane and not really thinking about it too much,” said Day, a 30-year-old Australian who was ranked No. 1 in the world on three occasions for a total of 51 weeks from September 2015 to February 2017.
“I knew that if I could just get myself in position … don’t do anything too silly out there and find a way to get back into the swing of things, that I could come out of this on the better half.”
Day finished with a daring play on the 18th. With his bare feet in the stream and the ball on the bank well above his feet, he hit a full wedge to the back of the green for a two-putt par. He was at 10-under 203.
Watney overcame a double bogey on the par-5 10th hole with four birdies over his last six holes for a 66. He will be in the final group for the first time in nearly four years as he tries to win for the first time since a back injury two years ago.
“To get back in contention, that’s why I play golf. I’m super, super excited,” Watney said. “I’m just going to try to embrace everything that comes with tomorrow and hope I have a chance down the last.”
Peter Uihlein finished the front nine with five straight birdies and started the back nine with an eagle. He shot a 62, one off Rory McIlroy’s course record, and was three shots out of the lead, tied for third with Paul Casey (69), Bryson DeChambeau (66) and tour rookie Aaron Wise (70).
Luke List (67) was tied for 11th, six shots out of the lead, while fellow former Baylor School standout Keith Mitchell (75) was 3 over and at the back of the pack.
Phil Mickelson shot a 64, his best score of the year, and was four shots out of the lead. McIlroy three-putted the last hole and still shot a 66. As a testament to the conditions, all he did was shrug.
“I didn’t play that well,” he said. “The score sort of flatters me.”
Tiger Woods — who after 36 holes had the same score as McIlroy, Mickelson and Uihlein — failed to take advantage on a course that was set up 228 yards shorter and was soft enough that golfers actually found pitch marks on the green. Woods finally got going on the back nine with three straight birdies, but a three-putt bogey on the final hole gave him a 68 and he was nine shots behind.
Peter Malnati’s 36-hole lead didn’t last long. He had a pair of double bogeys, shot 75 and fell seven shots behind.
Day is in charge, but not in the clear. Still, he has won four out of five times when he has had a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, and it helps that he doesn’t have too much experience behind him. Watney hasn’t won in nearly six years, while Uihlein still hasn’t won on tour.
Said Day, who won the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January: “I’d much rather be in this position than chasing.”
Langer’s lead shrinks
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Bernhard Langer plodded his way to a 72 that was good enough to hold on to his lead at the Insperity Invitational even as the leaderboard bunched up behind him entering the final round of the PGA Tour Champions event.
Langer was at 9-under 135 for 36 holes and had a oneshot lead over four opponents after he followed his course record-tying 63 at The Woodlands Country Club with a par round that included two birdies and two bogeys. The second bogey was especially painful, coming via a missed two-foot putt on the par-3 16th after his birdie on the par-5 15th.
The 60-year-old German, a three-time winner of the Houston-area event, is seeking his first victory of 2018 after winning seven times last year on the 50-and-older tour. He led by three strokes Friday but gained lots of company near him on the leaderboard Saturday.
Tom Pernice Jr. (68), Miguel Angel Jimenez (69), Mark Calcavecchia (69) and Scott Dunlap (70) were tied for second, with Bart Bryant (67) and local favorite Jeff Maggert (71) another stroke back.
Kenny Perry birdied four of the final five holes for a 65, the low round of the day, and was one of eight players sitting three shots back setting up what looks to be a wide-open final round.
Larsen early late leader
THE COLONY, Texas — Nicole Broch Larsen played 14 holes in 3 under to take the early lead in the second and final round of the LPGA Tour’s weather-abbreviated Texas Classic.
The 24-year-old Dane, who is ranked 89th in the world and has never won on the LPGA Tour, followed her opening-round 67 by going without a bogey before play was halted by darkness. She was at 7 under, good for a one-shot lead.
She will finish this morning. Half the players had yet to begin their second rounds.
Thursday’s play was canceled, and rain delayed the start on Friday by 8 1/2 hours, resulting in the tournament being reduced from 72 holes to 36. There was no cut, but only the top 70 and ties in the 144-woman field will receive prize money.
Sung Hyun Park and Jenny Shin led after the first round at 6-under 66 and were to play their second rounds today.