Cantlay, Laird share lead in Vegas shootout

Kim leads Women’s PGA Championship

Patrick Cantlay picked up enough birdies on the back nine to catch up to Martin Laird, and they each had a 6underpar 65 to share the lead by two strokes going into the final round of the PGA Tour’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas.

Saturday was another day of low scoring for just about everyone but U. S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau. He had two double bogeys through six holes and went from one shot behind to barely inside the top 40 after an evenpar 71 left seven shots behind.

Cantlay, who won this event in 2017, and Laird, who won in 2009, were at 20under 193.

Matthew Wolff, after making the cut with one shot to spare, had three eagles in a fivehole stretch en route to a 61. Wyndham Clark ( 65), Brian Harman ( 67) and Austin Cool ( 67) joined him at 195.

Women’s PGA Championship:

A 10time LPGA Tour winner, 27yearold South Korean Sei Young Kim has the unwanted title of winningest active player without a major championship. That could change Sunday at Aronimink in Newton Square, Pa.

Kim went on a birdie run Saturday, shooting a 3under 67 to hold the lead at 7under 203, two strokes ahead of Brooke Henderson ( 65) and Anna Nordqvist ( 68).

“I wouldn’t say I’m nervous, but I’m also excited about going into the final day,” Kim said.

The tournament was delayed three months because of the coronavirus pandemic, landing its final round smack on a packed sports Sunday. The PGA of America had to get creative with the tee times with NBC having other programming commitments on the weekend. Kim, Henderson and Nordqvist tee off at 5: 49 a. m. PT, and the last group goes off at 9: 16 a. m. The TV window is 9 a. m. to 11 a. m. on NBC.

Kim was runnerup at the 2015 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and tied for second at the Evian Championship in 2018. Kim held the 54hole lead at a major once, at the 2015 ANA Inspiration, where she finished tied for fourth.

Briefly:

In Cary, N. C., Darren Clarke ( 6under 66), Colin Montgomerie ( 67) and Woody Austin ( 69) topped the SAS Championship leaderboard at 9under, leaving Jim Furyk ( 68) three strokes back in his bid to become the first player to win his first three PGA Tour Champions events. ... Tyrrell Hatton shot a 3under 69 to go 14under overall heading into the last round of his hometown BMW PGA Championship in Virginia Water, England. JB Hansen and Victor Perez are three shots behind.

Matt Slocum / Associated Press South Korea’s Sei Young Kim is the winningest active LPGA player without a major title. A 10time tour winner, she leads the KPMG Women's PGA Championship heading into Sunday’s final round.