Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Two share lead after 3 rounds

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Jimmy Walker and Hideki Matsuyama are tied for the lead going into the final round of the Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Hawaii. Matsuyama matched the best score of the week Sunday with a 7-under 66. He made three consecutiv­e birdies on the front nine and back nine, and closed with a delicate pitch down the slope to 2 feet for birdie on the par-5 18th. Walker began to pull away with five birdies in 10 holes. But he didn’t make another birdie until a 4-foot putt on the final hole for a 67. They were tied at 17-under 202. Bae Sang-Moon (69) and Patrick Reed (68) were two shots behind. Defending champion Zach Johnson, among four players tied for the lead, stumbled to a 73 and was six shots behind. The Tournament of Champions is one of two PGA Tour events that ends on a Monday. The other is the Deutsche Bank Championsh­ip, which has ended on Labor Day since its inception in 2003. Kevin Stadler withdrew from the tournament with an injury to his left hand. Stadler said he has a hairline fracture of a bone below his pinky finger. He said he had hoped a couple of months off would allow it to heal, and his hand felt OK earlier in the week. But he said he withdrew to keep the injury from getting worse. Stadler won the Phoenix Open a year ago to qualify for this winnersonl­y tournament. He does not know when he can play again. Stadler said he hopes a week off will allow him to play the Humana Challenge in California before defending his title in the Phoenix Open. South African Open: Andy Sullivan won his first European Tour title with a brilliant birdie on the first playoff hole as Charl Schwartzel squandered a five-shot overnight lead in a late collapse in Johannesbu­rg. Schwartzel (74) finished terribly, making two bogeys and a double-bogey in his final five holes to fall back to 11-under and allow Sullivan (67) a chance at victory in the playoff. Both players missed the fairway off the tee in the playoff, but Sullivan sent a low pitch from under a tree onto the green, and then holed out for an unexpected birdie to win. Sullivan, an Englishman, made up seven shots on Schwartzel in the final round and was waiting in the clubhouse when Schwartzel unraveled at the end to miss out on a first South African Open title after leading by four shots with five holes to play. Schwartzel found a greenside bunker on No. 14, three-putted on No. 16 for double-bogey and fluffed a tee shot on 17 to drop another shot. He also found the rough off the tee on No. 18 and had to scramble for a par to send the tournament to a playoff. Other tournament

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