San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Horschel, Gooch share lead after brutal day at Bay Hill
ORLANDO, Fla. — Billy Horschel got a rare break at Bay Hill on a day that punished so many others, leading to a birdie on the 18th hole Saturday for a 1-under 71 that gave him a share of the lead with Talor Gooch in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Horschel was buried in deep rough behind the 18th green and facing a fast chip down the hill. His foot was on a sprinkler head and he received a free drop. From the collar, he was able to use putter and his 30-foot putt trickled into the cup.
“To make that putt on 18, to shoot 1 under on a really tough day is really satisfying,” he said.
It was a happy moment, and those were hard to find in a third round where Viktor Hovland lost a four-shot lead at the turn, Matt Jones heaved his putter into the water and Rory McIlroy lost momentum with a tee shot out-of-bounds.
Scottie Scheffler managed to make a charge. After missing three straight par putts from 6 feet or closer to cap off his front nine, Scheffler made three birdies and a 20-foot eagle for a 31 on the back for a 68, matching the low score of the day.
Gooch and Horschel were at 7-under 209.
Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland overcame three bogeys for a round of 70 nd was three shots behind, followed by the group of Chris Kirk (68), Graeme McDowell (69) and McIlroy, whose 76 could have been worse.
Three tied atop Singapore field
In Gee Chun shot a 6-under 66 Saturday to lead a trio of South Korean golfers at the top of the leaderboard after three rounds of the LPGA Tour’s HSBC Women’s World Championship at Singapore.
Chun had a 54-hole total of 12-under 204 on the Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong course. She had a onestroke lead over Jeongeun Lee6 (65) and No. 1-ranked Jin Young Ko, who shot 69.
American Danielle Kang (68), Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand (70) and another South Korean player, Amy Yang (71), were tied for fourth. Canadian Brooke Henderson was seventh after a 71, four strokes behind In.
Chun hasn’t won on the LPGA Tour in more than three years.
“I tried to make good focus on the putting green because I have spasm in my neck, so I didn’t try to hit hard,” said Chun, who tweaked a muscle in her neck during Thursday’s first round and contemplated withdrawing.
“I think it went really well on the putting green, and then I could really bring the greens really well. That’s how I made a good score today.”
Brehm ahead by 3 at Puerto Rico
Fighting to keep PGA Tour status, Ryan Brehm shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to open a three-stroke lead in the Puerto Rico Open at Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Brehm, with wife Chelsey at his side as his caddie, is making his final start on a minor medical extension and needs to win or finish second alone to retain status. He had a 15-under 201 total at Grand Reserve.
The 35-year-old Brehm is winless on the PGA Tour. He’s ranked 773rd in the world.
Michael Kim was second after a 70. Since winning the John Deere Classic in 2018, Kim has made only 16 cuts in 76 starts on the PGA Tour, including one stretch of 25 consecutive events without making it to the weekend. He was No. 75 in the world when he won and now No. 1,030.