Poulter takes lead

Ian Poulter shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday at windy Coco Beach to take the third-round lead in the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open at Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Playing the event for the first time after failing to get into the Match Play tournament in Texas as the first alternate, the Englishman got upand-down for par from a greenside bunker on the par-5 18th, holing a 15foot putt. Poulter bogeyed the par-4 13th and rebounded with birdies on the par-5 15th and par-3 16th. He’s trying to win for the first time since the 2012 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in China. Poulter had an 11-under 205 total. Tony Finau, Jonathan Byrd and Steve Marino were a stroke back. Finau shot 67, Byrd 68, and Marino 69. Puerto Rico’s Rafael Campos, the leader after each of the first two rounds, had a 72 to drop into a tie for fifth at 9 under with Scott Brown (67) and Aaron Baddeley (69). Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a 2-over 74 and is even for his three rounds. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had a 2-over 74 and also is even through three rounds. Andrew Landry (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 1-over 73 and is even for three rounds.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko made three consecutive birdies early on the back nine Saturday in the Kia Classic at Carlsbad, Calif., and finished with a 5-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead. Ko birdied Nos. 11-13 and closed with five consecutive pars to reach 14-under 202 at Aviara in the final event before the major ANA Inspiration next week in Rancho Mirage. The 18-year-old New Zealander saved par with a 10-foot putt on the par-4 18th, and has played bogey-free since her second hole in the first round. She won five times last season and is coming off a second-place finish last week in Phoenix in the Founders Cup. Sung Hyun Park, Brittany Lang and second-round leader Jenny Shin were tied for second. Park had five consecutive

birdies on Nos. 12-16, made a double bogey on par-5 17th, and closed with a birdie for a 68. Lang had a

70, making three birdies and four bogeys on the back nine. Shin shot 71. Second-ranked Inbee Park was 10 under after a 70. Gaby Lopez (Arkansas Razorbacks) had an even-par 72 and is 4 under through three rounds. Stacy Lewis (Razorbacks) had a 2-under 70 and is 3 under through three rounds.