Rookie Theegala fires 67 to keep lead at Sanderson

In his first weekend contention on the PGA Tour, California rookie

Sahith Theegala is handling the pressure and his golf just fine in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Theegala began the back nine Saturday at Country Club of Jackson with three straight birdies, had an eagle chip spin 360 degrees around the cup and finished with a 5-under 67 to take a oneshot lead into the final round.

Cameron Tringale had a pair of eagles from long range with his putter and his wedge and matched his career best on the PGA Tour with a 62. He was one shot behind, along with Sam Burns and Denny McCarthy, who each shot 65.

Theegala was at 18under 198.

“Definitely a little nerves in there for sure,” Theegala said. “But I think people have said before pressure is a privilege, and I’m trying to use those nerves to my advantage.”

Will Zalatoris, the rookie of the year last season while playing on unlimited sponsor exemptions, was tied for the lead with Theegala and

Nick Watney. Zalatoris didn't make a birdie over the final 12 holes. He shot 72 and fell five shots behind in a tie for 16th.

Watney took a late double bogey on the 16th hole and shot 71, leaving him four back.

Theegala was the consensus NCAA player of the year as a senior at Pepperdine, which was cut short by the pandemic. He had to bide his time between the Korn Ferry Tour and limited PGA Tour starts until making it to the big leagues with ease at the Korn Ferry Tour finals.

He has a chance to earn a two-year exemption and a spot in the Masters and PGA Championship next year if he can hold on.

EUROPEAN TOUR: Danny Willett began his third round in sunshine and ended it in torrential rain and high winds, playing some fine golf in between on the

Old Course at St. Andrews in a 6-under 66 that left the Englishman with a three-stroke lead at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Saturday.

Willett, who is 14 under par overall, will return to the home of golf on Sunday – the day he turns 34 – seeking an eighth win of his professional career and first in two years, since the BMW PGA Championship in September 2019.

The 2016 Masters champion has a good record on the Old Course, too. He is 73 under par for his career there and finished second at this event in 2010 as well as placing sixth at the British Open at St. Andrews in 2015.

Tyrrell Hatton, the second-round leader and two-time champion of the event, shot 71 and was one of four players tied for second place, along with Shane Lowry (67),

Richard Bland (64) and John Murphy (67). All of them also played their third rounds at St. Andrews.

Each player in the field plays a round at St. Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie – three of the most storied courses in Scotland – from Thursday to Saturday. Those who make the cut return to St. Andrews for the final round.

Willett took advantage of favorable early conditions to make three birdies in the opening seven holes, rolling in from 4 feet at No. 2, from even closer in at No. 5, and then 10 feet at No. 7.

LPGA TOUR: Inbee Park birdied three of her last five holes to match

Jin Young Ko with a 6-under 65 and the leave two top South Koreans in the world tied for the lead Saturday in the ShopRite LPGA in Galloway, New Jersey.

Ko, the No. 2 player in the world, played in the morning on the windy

Bay Course at Seaview and ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the front nine. She had to settle for only one bogey on the back nine and was the first to post at 11under 131.

Park is the No. 3 player in the world and putted well all day, her hallmark. She holed a 30-foot birdie on No. 6 and had a 6-foot par save on the next hole.

They were two shots ahead of ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit, who birdied the final hole to cap off a bogeyfree 65.

Brittany Lincicome (67) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark (68) were three shots behind going into the final round.

Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women’s golf, has not played since the U.S. loss in the Solheim Cup a month ago.