San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Tavatanakit ahead by 3 shots at Thailand
CHONBURI, Thailand — Local favorite Patty Tavatanakit shot a 6under 66 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA Thailand tournament.
Tavatanakit had a three-round total of 16under 200 on the Siam Country Club Old Course southeast of Bangkok.
“I did a pretty good job on the front nine. I was quite confident with my putting,” she said. “Nobody can tell what’s going to happen tomorrow.
“My plan is just to go out there and have fun with my golf game.”
Madelene Sagstrom shot 69 and was in second place while Hye Jin-choi and Emily Kristine Pedersen shot 65s and were tied for third place with Hyo Joo-kim, who scored a 69 on Saturday.
Brooke Henderson shot 68 and was in a group of players tied for sixth place, five strokes behind the leader.
Gonzalez surges to Morocco win
Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina ran off four straight birdies on the back nine Saturday and closed with a 3-under 70 for a one-shot victory in the Trophy Hassan II at Rabat, Morocco, giving
him membership on the PGA Tour Champions for the first time.
Gonzalez got into the field — the only PGA Tour Champions event outside North America except for the Senior British Open — by finishing among the top four on the European Legends
Tour last season. He made it pay off in a big way.
His birdie streak began at the 13th hole, and two closing pars gave him a one-shot victory over Thomas Bjorn, who needed birdie on the par-5 closing hole at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam to force a playoff. Bjorn shot 69.
Y.E. Yang, who shared the 36-hole lead with Gonzalez, had a 73 and tied for third with Mark Hensby, who closed with a 71..
Brothers bid for Kenya Open title
Spanish golfer Manuel Elvira moved into contention to join older brother Nacho as a European tour winner by taking a share of the lead at the Kenya Open at Nairobi after the third round on Saturday.
The younger Elvira shot 4-under 67 and was tied for first place on 10 under overall with Darius Van Driel (68).
The 37-year-old Nacho, whose only tour title came at the Cazoo Open in Wales in 2021, was also on the leaderboard — three strokes off the lead — in a tie for sixth after a 68. He is 9 years older than Manuel.
“I saw his name on the leaderboard and I was happy — I knew he was playing well,” Manuel Elvira said. “I was talking to my caddie and said how cool it would be to play on the Sunday with him.
The leading pair was two shots clear of Connor Syme (70), Joe Dean (68) and Ryan van Velzen (67), who were in a tie for third place.
Ortiz shoots 64 at Mexico Open
Alvaro Ortiz got off to a strong start and did just enough right at the end for a 7-under 64, giving him a share of the lead Friday in the Mexico Open as he goes for yet another victory in his home country.
Ortiz was at 11-under 131 at breezy Vallarta Vidanta, tied with Jake Knapp, Matt Wallace of England and Sami Valimaki of Finland. Ortiz had a 64 of his own late in the afternoon, Wallace shot 65 and Valimaki had a 67.
First-round leader Erik van rallied late to salvage a 69, leaving the South African one shot behind.