Rookie Hall falters but still has share of lead at Colonial

PGA Tour rookie Harry Hall intended to slip on his Vegas Golden Knights jersey while playing Colonial's par-3 13th hole Saturday. That plan changed after falling out of the lead because of consecutive double bogeys.

It was only after finishing the third round back in a share of the lead, with Adam Schenk at 10-under 200, that the Englishman who lives in Las Vegas after playing at UNLV pulled on the jersey. His favorite NHL team was playing the local Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.

“Being 3 over going into the (13th) hole, I didn't think that would be the best thing to do,” said Hall, who was the solo leader after the first and second rounds. “Yeah, I'm T1 after the round, so I thought I'd wear it in the interviews.”

Hall's final putt in a round of 2-over 72 was a 10foot par at No. 18 after he chipped from the fringe out of an awkward stance that had his heels hanging over the lip of a bunker. That followed a 10-foot birdie at the 383-yard 17th.

Schenk, also looking for his first win but in his 171st PGA Tour event, closed out a 67 with a 16-foot birdie putt.

“It was a lot of luck making that putt,” he said.

Harris English, who shot a 70, was a stroke back at 9-under 201 after his bogey on 18. That was two holes after he had sole possession of the lead with a 40-foot birdie on the par-3 16th.

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, bogeyed three of his last five holes for a 72 after opening with consecutive 67s. He was among six players tied for 10th place at 4 under.

LIV Golf

Mito Pereira made five birdies over his last seven holes for a 5-under 67, giving him a one-shot lead over Harold Varner III at LIV Golf DC.

Pereira finished with two birdies at Trump National. He was as hot at the end of his round as Varner was cold. Varner, who had the 18-hole lead, had two bogeys with no birdies on the back nine to fall out of the lead with a 72.

Henrik Stenson had a 67 and was two shots behind, tied for third with Kevin Na (69).

LPGA Tour

Former Duke and Solheim Cup teammates Celine Boutier and Leona Maguire remained undefeated at Shadow Creek to set up a semifinal match in the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play.

The third-seeded Boutier edged Ayaka Furue 2 and 1 in the quarterfinals. The seventh-seeded Maguire held off Lindsey Weaver-Wright 3 and 2.

In the other semifinal today, Linn Grant will face Pajaree Anannarukarn. Grant beat Albane Valenzuela 3 and 1, and Anannarukarn edged Carlota Ciganda 3 and 2 to crash the European party.

PGA Tour Champions

Padraig Harrington was in perfect position in the 16th fairway, with a great chance to set the 54-hole scoring record for a comfortable lead at the Senior PGA Championship.

Then the 51-year-old Irishman had to go to the bathroom. Paddy found the porta-potty, had trouble with the door, rushed to his next shot and ended up in a native area that led to a double-bogey.

“I had the longest pee ever,” Harrington said. “And then I kind of rushed down the fairway and hit my shot. I just wasn't focused, I wasn't into it and I hit a bad shot in the hazard. That's my excuse. That's got to be original, I would assume.”

Well, at least he still has the lead in what will be a tight final-round matchup of opposing Ryder Cup captains from 2021.

Steve Stricker, the hottest PGA Tour Champions player by far and leader of the U.S. rout over Harrington's crew at Whistling Straits, is one shot back after matching Harrington's tournamentbest, 8-under 64 from the opening round.

Harrington's lead on the back nine was briefly as big as six shots. Instead, he settled for a second consecutive 68 and was at 16-under 200, one stroke off Sam Snead's 50-year-old Senior PGA record for 54 holes.

Stricker extended his Champions-record streak of rounds of par or better to 48.