San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
McIlroy leads Scottish Open by a stroke
GULLANE, Scotland — Rory McIlroy made just enough birdie putts for a 3under 67 in increasingly windy conditions Saturday to keep his one-shot lead over Tom Kim in the Genesis Scottish Open.
McIlroy still didn't make as many as he expected, a common refrain for most players, though he has raw numbers supporting him. One day after missing nine putts from 10 feet or closer, he missed an eagle attempt from just over 3 feet and a birdie putt from 5 feet as he was trying to build a cushion at The Renaissance Club.
“I'm still in a really good position,” McIlroy said. “As I said, I feel like I've left a few out there. But I mean, it's hard to be disappointed when you're in the lead going into the final day. I'll certainly take it.”
McIlroy was at 13-under 197 as he bids for his first professional victory in Scotland. He has never finished in the top 10 in seven previous tries as a pro, and he has three runner-up finishes in the Dunhill Links. He has four top-five finishes in British Opens held in Scotland.
Kim made everything he needed to for a 67, and that's what kept him in the game. He said he didn't hit the ball as well as he did the previous day and often was out of position but was
pleased that he hung around and managed a bogey-free round.
Tommy Fleetwood was the first group out and posted a 63 that put him at 11-under 199, two shots out of the lead and tied with Brian Harman (67). Fleetwood didn't get off to the best start and now has played his last three nines in 32-32-31.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, found himself eight shots behind late on the front nine with very little going right. But he birdied three of the last four holes, making a birdie from about 25 feet on the 18th hole, for a
67.
Scheffler was at 200 along with Shane Lowry (65), J.T. Poston (65), Eric Cole (64) and Byeong Hun An (69). An and Cole are the leading candidates to earn the three spots available for the British Open for those not already exempt.
Frazar, Stricker share Akron lead
Steve Stricker shot a 5under 65 on Saturday for a share of the lead with Harrison Frazar in the Kaulig Companies Championship, the fourth of the PGA Tour Champions' five major
tournaments.
Frazar had a 70 to match Stricker at 7-under 203 at Firestone, with the thirdround tee times moved up in a successful bid to dodge afternoon rain.
“It was important that the leaders didn't go too far away, and I needed a 4-, 5under round and I did it, I got it,” Stricker said. “And they helped me out a little bit by not going low themselves.
Stewart Cink was a stroke back after a 70. Ernie Els (70) and K.J. Choi (69) were 5 under, and Scott Parel (68) was 4 under.
Bernhard Langer, the 65-year-old German star who won the U.S. Senior Open two weeks ago to break the PGA Tour Champions career victory record, was tied for eighth at 1 under after a 70.
Park on top by 2 at the Dana Open
Annie Park birdied seven of the last 10 holes Friday in the Dana Open at Sylvania, Ohio, for an 8under 63 and a two-stroke lead over U.S. Women's Open champion Allisen Corpuz, Linn Grant and Jaravee Boonchant.
Park closed her opening nine at Highland Meadows with a birdie on No. 18 and added birdies on the first four holes on the front nine. She also birdied Nos. 7 and 8, playing her final nine in 6-under 28 to reach 11-under 131.
“I just had some really good shots out there,” Park said. “Recovered well from bad shots. Overall, I played really well.”
Corpuz, coming off her breakthrough victory in the U.S. Women's Open, had a 66 for her second straight bogey-free round.
Grant and Boonchant, tied for the first-round lead at 64, each shot 69.
Twelve-time tour winner Ariya Jutanugarn topped the group at 8 under after a 69. Jeongeun Lee (64) also was 8 under with Lindy Duncan (65), Gemma Dryburgh (66), Maria
Fassi (67), Matilda Castren (68), Linnea Strom (68) and Emily Pedersen (69).
Defending champion Gaby Lopez (65), Lydia Ko (68) and Minjee Lee (68) were in the group at 7 under. Top-ranked Jin Young Ko was five under after a 68. Rose Zhang, the former Stanford star who won at Liberty National in her first LPGA Tour event as a pro, followed an opening 66 with a 77 to miss the cut.
Cone surges into first at Barbasol
PGA Tour rookie Trevor Cone shot a 9-under 63 on Saturday at rainy Keene Trace in Nicholasville, Ky., to take the third-round lead in the Barbasol Championship.
Cone had a 17-under 199 total for a one-stroke advantage over Lucas Glover and Vincent Norrman in the event co-sanctioned by the European tour.
The 43-year-old Glover, the leader after each of the first two rounds, had a 69 for his 11th straight round in the 60s.
“These young guys aren't like when I was young. They're ready to win now, there's no learning curve anymore,” Glover said.
Frenchman Adrien Saddier (67) was 15 under, with England's Nathan Kimsey (67) and South Africa's Jayden Schaper (68) at 14 under.