Reed seizes control at Northern Trust
Johnson, Spieth falter playing in final group
Patrick Reed handled the strong gusts and a Liberty National course starting to dry out with a 4-under 67 that gave him a one-shot lead over Abraham Ancer going into the final round of The Northern Trust in Jersey City, N.J.
Reed, who has not won since the 2018 Masters, said he is getting closer to breaking the drought.
“It’s close and it feels good,” Reed said. “Feels like this has been coming for some time, and now it’s just go out and stick to the game plan.”
Dustin Johnson, the second-round leader, crumbled to a 74. Jordan Spieth, his playing partner in the final group, matched him.
Johnson, twice a winner of this FedEx Cup playoffs opener, didn’t make a birdie until the 10th hole, and made four bogeys over the final six holes. He dropped five shots behind.
Spieth began his round by hitting his tee shot into the water. He is No. 69 in the FedEx Cup. The top 30 make the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta in two weeks.
Slow play issue heats up
Bryson DeChambeau defended himself against accusations of slow play after harsh criticism on social media stemming from a video showing him taking more than two minutes to hit an 8-foot putt.
“When people start talking to me about slow play and how I’m killing the game, I’m doing this-andthat to the game, that is complete and utter ... youknow-what,” DeChambeau said. “That’s not fair.”
Among those who criticized him was Eddie Pepperell of England. He referred to DeChambeau as “the unaffected single minded twit” who doesn’t care much for others. Rich Beem, a former PGA champion, said he was outraged as a PGA Tour member and that protecting the field against slow play should include penalties or disqualification for offenders.
Sister act in Scotland
Trying to follow her sister with a Ladies Scottish Open victory, Moriya Jutanugarn shot a 4-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick.
Ariya Jutanugarn won last year at Gullane.
“Just another pretty solid day,” Moriya Jutanugarn said. “Trying to get upand-down and lots of good chance for birdie, as well.”
California flavor in final
College standouts in California who grew up outside the United States will meet in the final of the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Albane Valenzuela, a senior at Stanford from Switzerland, needed 19 holes to edge high school sophomore Megha Ganne, 15, of Holmdel, N.J., at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Miss. Gabriela Ruffels, a junior at Southern California from Australia, beat Andrea Lee, who also plays at Stanford, 2 up.