Mitchell goes bogey-free at Quail Hollow for two-shot lead

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Keith Mitchell straightened out his putter and delivered big tee shots Saturday that carried him to a 6-under 66 and a two-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and Gary Woodland in the Wells Fargo Championship.

The putter issue is not a figure of speech.

After closing with an 82 in the Valspar Championship last week, Mitchell discovered his putter was out of alignment. He had it bent back to the right specifications, avoided mistakes that slowed so many others, and now has a chance at a second PGA Tour victory.

“I just feel like everything’s really working,” said Mitchell, who was at 9-under 204. “My driver feels great, and around this place you’ve really got to drive it well. Really just trying to keep the ball in front of me right now and see what we can do tomorrow.“

McIlroy will be right there along for the ride.

A two-time winner at Quail Hollow, McIlroy led early, steadied himself after a double bogey on the 12th hole when his drive hit a cart path, and shot 68. Winless the last 18 months, McIlroy will be in the final group for the first time since Riviera more than a year ago.

Woodland had troubles on his own, particularly a drive right of the water hazard on the par-5 seventh that turned birdie into bogey, and a lapse of poor putting down the stretch on the back nine. He still managed a 70 with a chance to win for the first time since his U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach in 2019.

Luke List (68) was three shots behind, while Scott Stallings (70) and Satoshi Kodaira (68) were at 5-under 208.

Stricker eagles 18th to jump to top spot

Defending champion Steve Stricker made a long eagle putt on the final hole for 7-under 65 and the third-round lead in the Regions Tradition, the first of five PGA Tour Champions majors.

Stricker moved a stroke ahead of Alex Cejka with the eagle that got him to 14-under 202 at Greystone Golf & Country Club. Cejka, who made the field as the first alternate Monday, bogeyed the 17th in a 66.

“I hit a good drive,” Stricker said. “And I had a number that I really had to hit a good hard utility club. I had to really turn it over. And it just worked out really nicely. Had a nice look at it. Made a good putt.”

Tavatanakit leads despite struggles

Patty Tavatanakit struggled on the front nine but will take a one-shot lead over fellow Thai Atthaya Thitikul and German Caroline Masson into the final round of the LPGA Thailand tournament.

Tavatanakit recovered from her slow start to shoot a 2-under 70 in the third round at Siam Country Club.

“I’m not expecting to have a perfect tournament.” Tavatanakit said. “Even though I had some nice rounds, it was still not perfect, which I feel like it’s the nature of the game itself. I’m really proud of myself of how I hung in there and grinded back to shooting under par.”

Higgo up 2 strokes after third round

Garrick Higgo made four birdies in his last four holes to shoot a 7-under 64 that gave him a two-shot lead entering the final round of the Canary Islands Championship.

Higgo also made two eagles to move to 20 under at the European Tour event in Tenerife.

“I was just trying to stay patient because I’m hitting good putts and I’m hitting the ball a lot better than I have the last couple of weeks,“Higgo said. “I’ve been giving myself a lot more chances so it’s hard to stay patient when you’ve got a lot of putts.”