Merritt’s first ace helps him co-lead

Troy Merritt aced the 219yard 11th hole at Detroit Golf Club and shot a five-under 67 on Saturday for a share of the lead with Joaquin Niemann in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Niemann, who shared the 36-hole lead with Tom Lewis, pulled into a tie by two-putting from 46 feet at 17. He parred the final hole, the toughest one on the course, for a 68.

Hank Lebioda (66) and Cam Davis (67) were a stroke back, and Brandon Hagy (68) was another shot behind.

First-rounder leader Davis Thompson (72) was six shots back. After opening with a course-record tying 63, he has played the last 36 holes in one over with rounds of 73 and 72.

The 35-year-old Merritt made his first hole-in-one on the PGA Tour — with a fiveiron off one bounce — to give him a three-stroke advantage. He was fired up, and the fans were, too, a year after no spectators were allowed to attend because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s awesome to have the fans back out here, whooping and hollering the good shots,” Merritt said.

He had a bogey on the next hole to cut into his cushion on a jam-packed leaderboard and he ended up losing the lead by closing with six straight pars.

LPGA

Jin Young Ko chipped in for eagle on the par-four 15th and finished a bogey-free 32holes in near darkness with a one-stroke lead in the Volunteers of America Classic.

Ko returned to overcast and breezy Old American early Saturday at The Colony, Texas, playing the final 14 holes for a one-under 70 in the suspended second round. After a rest break at her nearby home in Frisco, the 25-year-old South Korean star shot 66 in the third round.

She got up-and-down for par on the par-four 18th, chipping close after hitting over the green.

Champions

Ernie Els opened a threestroke lead in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, N.Y., reeling off five straight birdies on the front nine in a seven-under 65 to get in position for his third PGA Tour Champions win.